The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Laverne Cox on "Disclosure" and Changing Public Perceptions of the Trans Community

Episode Date: June 7, 2021

From June 2020, Laverne Cox discusses "Disclosure," her documentary about Hollywood's portrayals of trans people, and argues for professionally elevating members of marginalized communities. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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You're rolling. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look, starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts. Laveon Cox, welcome to the Daily Social Distancing Show. Thank you so much. It's so, um, this is wild.

This is so interesting, this whole. It's a very strange experience, yes? Have you gotten used to just meeting and talking to everybody like this? I have and I kind of prefer it. Can I tell you before coronavirus I never did video chats like when I would meet guys on dating apps I would always want to just meet in person. Now it's a prerequisite. Now we have to video chat and it's a great way to pre-screen. So now I'm gonna be, I'm pre-screening all my potential dates via video chat.

So thank you, COVID-19. Wait, okay, help me understand this though. What do you, what do you think you get from the video chat that you wouldn't have gotten in person? Or is it just for you that you don't have to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to go to to to to to, to, to to to to to to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the today, I., I. te. thea. thea. thea. thea. thea. tea. today, thea. thea. thea have to go to the in-person because you've done the video chat? Is that what it is? You save time. You eliminate a lot of people that you would have like wasted time going to meet. And so like you kind of know in like, you know, three to five minutes if it's going to be a match. So it's just another, it's a pre-screen. I mean, one of the loudest and proudest LGBTQ activists out there. Like, you became just like the archetype for what people hoped trans people could achieve, not just in acting, but in any field.

You've come out with a new documentary now that you are a part of and you've produced as well. And it's called Disclosure. And what I loved about it is, it's a documentary taking us through how trans people have been portrayed by Hollywood and the entertainment industry for so long. Tell me why you chose to go with this route. I am obsessed with looking back in history and to help us understand why we are where we are now. And there's so much that hasn't been done around looking at trans history on so many different levels and because my work is in the media and I'm obsessed with media and want to

get do better and want the media to do better it made a lot of sense. We don't even think about it from the time we're kids we're receiving images, we're receiving images and images and video and we just start to you know assemble the world in our minds. There's no denying that trans has for a very long time been a punchline Trans has been you know always displayed as the other the scary the punchline It's it's been this thing over the past few years. We've started seeing the change but but when you look at it as somebody who is trans What have you seen a big change has that change been enough? Enough is relative right like what the film? the film? th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th thens thin thens thens thens thens thi thi thi thi thi thi the the the the th. th. th. the. thi. th. thi. the thi. the the the the the the th. th. the th. th. the the th. the th. the the the th. the th. the the the th. th is th is the th. th. th. th. the the the the the the the the tea tea tea tea tea tra tra trauuu. tea tha is relative, right? Like, what the film, one

of the things that film grapples with is that there is indeed unprecedented representation of trans folks in the media that really probably began about six years ago. And Sam, our director, Sam Fader, noted that whenever there's increased visibility of a marginalized community, there's often backlash and it's often increased violence. And that is exactly what we're seeing with the increased the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th th th th th thi thi thi thi thi things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things things thate thate thate thatea thatea thatea thea thea thea thea thea thea thea thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks thingthere's often backlash and it's often increased violence. And that is exactly what we're seeing with the increased murderers of black trans women and with the legislative assault as well. So yes, things have gotten better in terms of visibility,

and then there has been a backlash that we're seeing. And I think one of the most critical things that we should all remember is how the technique of divide and conquer works to divide marginalized people, right? So that I was so beautifully moved when I saw that protest for black trans lives, right, a little over a week ago. And so many people, yeah, and here in LA as well, where folks were declaring that black trans lives matter,

that we understand that all black folks are affected by systemic racism, and th..... and th. and th., and to to to th, and to th, and th, and th, and th, and th, and thi, and thi, and thi, and to thi, and to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to divide, and to divide, and to divide, and to divide, and to divide, and to divide, and to divide, and to divide, and to divide, and to divide, and to divide, and to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the their, and their, their, their, their, their, they.. they. their, their, their, their, their, they.. their, they. their, toe, toe, toe, their,trans lives matter, that we understand that all black folks are affected by systemic racism and that we have to come together, and we all marginalized people have to come together. Here's a question I have for you. That's a difficult one, and I would only ask you because I'm comfortable with you. But how do you think we get to the place where people can acknowledge the discomfort and ir misunderstanding of a thing

whilst not offending or discriminating against the other person. How would you encourage that? You know, in the same way we're having conversations around race, how would you say to people, hey, let's try and encourage just a movement in and around trans awareness? I think we have to really learn how to sit with discomfort, period, right? I think whenever it is, we are called upon to to to interrog to interrog to interrog to inter to inter to inter to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to really learn how to sit with discomfort, period. I think whenever it is, we are called upon to interrogate our internalized racism, our internalized transphobia, and we all internalize these things as Americans, probably as citizens of the world. And so we each have to be able to sit with that discomfort.

I think so often when we are, when we come up against something that is uncomfortable for us, often we go into this defense mode, we, five lighter frees. Oh my God, someone called me transphobic. Then I have to immediately defend that. Instead of taking a breath and taking a moment and sitting with the discomfort of maybe being called out, maybe you weren't wrong, maybe you were. We all have to struggle. So I think a lot of it's about learning how to sit with discomfort, not going to to to to to be to be, to be, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, to be, to, to, and, and, to, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, some, some.e.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.A.a.A.a.a. toea. toe. toe. And, toe. And, toe. And, it's about learning how to sit with discomfort, not going into five flight or free, so we can actually hear what the criticism and the critique is, and then understanding that being uncomfortable does not mean that you are unsafe, right?

So there is a difference between, with a bathroom conversation just makes me think so much about, because for every, for several years, it was all about bathrooms, spanning people from bathrooms, right? In the segregated South, why folks were not comfortable with black people in the bathroom with them? But did that mean that they were unsafe? And so what does it mean for us to sit with discomfort?

What does it mean for us to really ask ourselves, are we not safe? Or are we just uncomfortable? I know you've been working on programs to try and help trans people break into the industry, you know, just behind the cameras, and you're really pushing for how trans people are portrayed on screen. What are the big changes you think we need to make? I think the piece is how do we have diverse people in positions of power, right? One of the things I'm most proud of with disclosure is that everyone on screen is trans, and most of the people working behind the scenes

on the crew are also trans. And in the case, and we couldn't find someone trans to fill a role, we had a fellowship program where we had a cisgender person, but it's not just about what Colonel West called putting black faces in high places, t., t., t, t, t, t, to, to, to, to, t, to, t, t, t, t, t, t, t, t, t, t, t, t, the, the, tri, tri, tri, tri, tru, true, tr-a, tr-a, tr-a, tr-a, tr-a, and, tr-a, tr-a, and, and, and, and, and, and, tr, and, tr, and, and, and, and, and, tr, and, and, and, and, is, and, and, and, and, and, is, is, and, and, and, and, and, and, the, the, the, and, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, tttttttttttthau. thau. thea, thea, thea, thea, thea, thea, thea, tha, tha, right? It's not just about, you know, sort of putting, you know, diverse people in the same sort of corrupt systems. We have to change the way that power works. And so much of that is about, I believe, changing the material conditions of poor and working people, the people who are the most marginalized. To get them, you know, opportunities to work in the industry behind the scenes and then be truly elevated

to positions of power to not just occupy the same sort of, you know, corrupt systems, but to change the system. Livvon Cox, thank you so much for joining us on the show. Thank you, Trevor Nellis. It's good to see you again. Great seeing you. Watch the Daily Show, Weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central, and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus.

When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News.

Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17.