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Alexandra Opderbeck
My name is Alexandra Opderbeck but everyone refers to me as Lexi.  I’m a forensic psychology major from Queens and I am twenty years old. I have a huge and loving family consisting of three sisters and a brother. I’m considered the baby of the bunch even though I’m not a baby anymore! I have two puppies that I love dearly and I consider them to be part of the family! One is a brown cocker spaniel shih tzu and the other is a white chihuahua, poodle, shih tzu. An interesting fact about myself is that I am the first one in my family to attend and graduate from college. I work part time as a community habilitator at an agency called S.K.I.P. of New York. This job consists of helping kids with autism live at home.  I also work as a dance teacher at Mrs.Elaine's School of Dance in Rockaway Beach, New York.

 Laverne Cox, born on May 29, 1984 in Mobile, Alabama, is one of the most well known activists for the LGBTQ community.  She was raised by her mother, Gloria, and also has a twin brother.  Laverne was born biologically male but always felt as if something was missing and had always felt herself to be female.  Yet she was confused growing up because she never saw a difference in being a male or a female. Laverne always had a love for the arts; growing up she begged her mother to enroll her in dance class.  She joined classes in third grade which caused much controversy for her as a child.  She and her brother were bullied as kids and her mother would always ask her what she did that made them bully her.  Laverne is also an extremely well known actress.  She has appeared in popular shows such as Orange Is the New Black, the reality show TRANSform me, Law & Order, The Mindy Project, and Doubt and Grandma.  She is the first openly transgender person in history to receive an Emmy nomination.  She is not only an inspiration to all but truly a courageous women.  

 

 

In an interview I found, Cox describes the struggles she faced as a kid vs. the struggles she faces now as an adult and the differences between the two. Even her mother would say “this is how a girl acts and this is how a boy acts.”  Yet, now as an adult, she has people in her corner that love and support her no matter what.  Today her mother even apologizes because she says she didn’t know what to do or how to handle Cox's identity. 

 

In addition to and aside from her career in the spotlight as an actress, “Laverne is a renowned speaker and has taken her empowering message of moving beyond gender expectations to live more authentically all over the country.”  Her work as an advocate for the LGBTQ community landed her the spot as the 2014 Woman of the Year on Glamour magazine.  Due to her work on the hit series Orange is The New Black, she received the  Dorian Rising Star Award, the Courage Award from the Anti-Violence Project, The Community Leader Award from the LGBTQ Center of New York City, and the Reader’s Choice Award from “Out” Magazine.  She was also named one of The Grio’s 100 Most Influential African Americans.    

Fall 2015 

 

 

It Got Better Featuring Laverne Cox | L/Studio created by Lexus. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MfxtM9N3fw

 

Laverne Cox | Bio. (n.d.). Retrieved December 13, 2015, from http://www.lavernecox.com/bio-2/

 

Laverne Cox. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2015, from http://www.biography.com/people/laverne-cox

 

Laverne Cox To Star As Frank-N-Furter In 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' TV Remake. (2015, October 21). Retrieved December 12, 2015, from http://deadline.com/2015/10/laverne-cox-star-frank-n-furter-rocky-horror-picture-show-remake-fox-1201590114/

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.