Laverne Cox, the transgender protagonist on Netflix’ original series “Orange Is The New Black,” is now the first openly transgender person to be featured on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine.
Say WHAT? #SayYesToLove And this month’s issue is filled with it! In this South Africa exclusive @lavernecox stars as COSMO’s first ever openly trans cover girl! ALSO, #LGBTQI+ allies and activists on Love in 2018 #COSMOxLaverne #COSMOFebruary #TransIsBeautiful pic.twitter.com/X8J7b7fbkR
— COSMOPOLITAN SA (@CosmopolitanSA) January 22, 2018
While this is Cosmo’s first transgender person on the cover, it’s not Cox’s first time being honored. TIME featured her in 2014 as the symbol for the next civil rights frontier.
But this Cosmo cover is different. While TIME covers a variety of unconventional topics, Cosmo’s audience is primarily geared toward young, working women. It covers topics like sex, makeup, fashion, and pop culture. According to Cosmo South Africa’s Twitter, its primary goal is to be “the quintessential go-to for fun, fearless females.”
Which is odd, since the word “female” is a pretty black-and-white biological term for somebody who was born a girl. While Cox underwent gender reassignment surgery several years ago and routinely shuts down anyone who asks about it, she’s not biologically female.
Even more interesting is the fact that Cox likened her feature in Cosmo to the first time an African American was put on the cover. “42 years ago this month @iambeverlyjohnson became the first black woman to appear on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine,” she said in a behind the scenes photo shoot. “Thanks Ms. Johnson for paving the way for all of the black women who have followed you over the years on Cosmo covers.”
The only difference between black and transgender individuals is that black individuals are actually born that way, while transgender people choose to alter their biology. It was problematic when Michael Jackson altered his race, yet somehow we’re now celebrating people who alter their gender.
“Transgender women deserve to be loved out in the open and in the light,” she says in her behind the scenes shoot.
Here’s a look at some of the previous Cosmo covers featuring biological females.
Beverly Johnson Cosmo Harry king way bandy Scavullo pic.twitter.com/ISkG0zMKt1
— Aaron Brian Braman (@BramanAaron) February 1, 2016
Gorgeous then, gorgeous now! Remember this @JLo Cosmo cover? #HappyBirthdayCosmo pic.twitter.com/98DHsGcb6q
— Cosmopolitan (@Cosmopolitan) October 12, 2015
Naomi Campbell #Cosmopolitan #1990 love this cover! pic.twitter.com/U0AL7i0l
— LovelysVintage (@LovelysVintage) August 14, 2012
U thought the approaching weekend couldn’t get better…but huzzah! Meet @cosmo_singapore June @emilyratajkowski. pic.twitter.com/gUVQ7Qt47C
— Cosmopolitan SG (@cosmo_singapore) May 15, 2015
#NEW– Miranda Kerr on the cover of Cosmopolitan Magazine [Netherlands] (November 2016) [@MirandaKerr] pic.twitter.com/nnv73Lr5Pp
— miranda fans! (@MirandaKerrStan) October 13, 2016
ANNOUNCEMENT! @KaleyCuoco is our May cover star & she’s seriously never looked more stunning! http://t.co/LOJ8DqI6yr pic.twitter.com/nqV33kVY3X
— Cosmopolitan (@Cosmopolitan) April 1, 2014
‘Riverdale‘ stars Lili Reinhart & Camila Mendes look gorgeous on the cover of Cosmopolitan.
Read their interview here: https://t.co/YEKlUW0oJJ pic.twitter.com/JVAPvzlGMB
— pop polls (@poppoIIs) January 4, 2018
Amore! @carrieunderwood is the February cover girl for @Cosmopolitan_IT; pic.twitter.com/HFaoiV3IOp
— Carrie Underwood UK (@Carrie_UK) February 27, 2016
Happy New Issue! Vanaf vandaag vind je de gloednieuwe Cosmopolitan met @blakelively op de cover in de winkel! pic.twitter.com/Sr82eL0bGj
— Cosmopolitan (@CosmopolitanNL) April 12, 2016