Laverne Cox: ‘Trans People Will Be Exterminated’ Under Trump

Before *Orange Is the New Black* made her a star, Laverne Cox survived bullying, abuse, and violence. Now, she fears those dark days are returning. Two days before a recent interview, Cox attended the premiere of a new animated version of *Animal Farm*, in which she voices the pig Snowball. The film is controversial for its lighthearted tone and happy ending. But Cox had bigger concerns. “If we don’t wake up and don’t understand, trans people will be exterminated,” she said in April. She warned that rights are being stripped away. “People are losing their jobs, people are losing healthcare, people are being detransitioned in prison. Gender-affirming care is being attacked, not just for children but also for adults.” Cox says the real goal is not about protecting women. “It’s always been about creating a permission structure to scapegoat trans people, to dehumanise trans people, to take away our rights and to eliminate us from public life.”