Transgender actress Lavernce Cox is speaking out against President Donald Trump’s reversal on transgender student protections on ABC’s “The View” on Thursday.
The “Doubt” star phoned into the daytime talk show to denounce the decision and the upcoming Supreme Court case surrounding transgender teen Gavin Grimm, who sued his Virginia high school after being barred from using the boys’ bathroom.
“Often, in our country’s history, it is a person who is not intended to be a symbol or to be famous, but has stood up for what is right, who has been chosen,” Cox said. “And I believe that Gavin is that person.”
“Gavin has been chosen because Gavin is the person who can handle it,” she said. “He is so unbelievably articulate and composed. He’s so inspiring.”
Cox argued that those saying that this is an issue of privacy, safety or states’ rights are misguided. She reminded viewers that there’s no evidence of criminals pretending to be trans so they can assault people of the opposite gender in public bathrooms.
“That doesn’t happen,” she said. “In the hundreds of cities all over the country where we have protections for trans people … that doesn’t happen, and our opponents know that.”
“These bathroom laws are about whether trans people have the right to exist in public space. That is what this is about,” she continued. “It is not a states’ rights issue, it is a civil rights issue.”
Cox’s comments follow a report on Wednesday by the New York Times that Trump intends to reverse the Obama Administration’s guidance that public schools nationwide should allow transgender students to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity.
.@Lavernecox reacts to Trump reversing transgender guidance, says it's "about whether trans people have the right to exist in public space.” pic.twitter.com/S9NmCAG5Ru
— The View (@TheView) February 23, 2017