Laverne Cox, Christian Siriano discuss privilege and visibility at Harvard summit
Laverne Cox was onstage at the Memorial Church Tuesday evening, reflecting on her struggle to break into Hollywood as one of the first transgender actresses of color. She described her path by paraphrasing the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius: “What gets in the way becomes the way,” she said. That mantra helped define her success as a now Emmy-nominated actress (“Orange Is the New Black”) and Emmy-winning producer who is equally visible as an activist and advocate for gender equity. In a lively panel conversation for Harvard’s inaugural #HarvardHearsYou Summit for Gender Equity, Cox shared her experiences alongside fashion designer Christian Siriano and fashion blogger Nicolette Mason. Culture expert Jess Weiner, CEO of Talk to Jess, moderated the lively conversation, which ranged from affection for performing arts education to creating 17 red-carpet looks for a single Oscar night to a deep examination of language and privilege. Cox said becoming famous didn’t erase her experiences...