Laverne Cox stopped by Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday and gave the crowd something to talk about.
The actress and activist appeared at a public event on May 15. She later reposted a video from creator Lyna Evanee on Instagram, adding her own thoughts. Cox called the moment “a word for you this Sunday morning,” giving it a warm, sermon-like feel.
Her post also came with a confession. The clergy in the crowd had kept her in line. “There was some clergy in the crowd, so I couldn’t cuss real good like I wanted to,” she noted, finishing with a sad-face emoji.
It’s very on-brand for her. Cox has always had a gift for being funny and sincere at the same time. The image of a room full of clergy quietly keeping her vocabulary in check is the kind of story only she could tell with a straight face.
Cox is best known for playing Sophia Burset on Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black. The show ran from 2013 to 2019 and made her one of the most recognizable transgender actresses working in Hollywood. She’s stayed active as a speaker and advocate for transgender rights. Events and community gatherings across the country have been a regular part of her schedule. An appearance like this Raleigh stop fits right into that.
She didn’t share many details about the specific event. But her enthusiasm was clear from the start. Cox opened her repost with “This! This! This!” The excitement in those three words said everything.
The comment about restraint is clearly a joke. But there’s something real behind it. Cox is known for speaking plainly and with real passion, especially in front of a crowd that’s on her side. The fact that she had to dial it back at all is funny. The fact that she still got her point across is very her.
Her followers responded warmly. The mix of humor and heart is what people have come to expect from Cox. She delivers it consistently. The venue changes; the energy doesn’t.
Cox has been one of the more visible figures in conversations about LGBTQ+ rights for over a decade. She walks into a room, connects with people, and makes them laugh. That’s a big part of why she keeps getting invited. She’s not just an activist. She gives speeches people actually want to hear.
Nobody knows what the clergy in the Raleigh crowd made of the whole evening. But they probably walked away with a good story. The cleaned-up version, sure, but still a good one.
