Kwanaki biyu kafin ta yi mini magana, Laverne Cox ta kasance a bikin fara sabon nau'in wasan kwaikwayo mai rai na Animal Farm, inda take muryar Snowball. Fim ɗin yana da rigima sosai saboda yanayin yara da kyakkyawan ƙarshensa, wanda ba ya jin kamar Orwell. Amma Cox tana da manyan damuwa fiye da sukar fim.
"Idan ba mu farka ba kuma mu fahimci abin da ke faruwa ba, za a kashe mutanen trans," in ji ta a wannan ranar a watan Afrilu. "Ana kwace haƙƙin mutane. Mutane suna rasa ayyukansu da kiwon lafiyarsu. Ana mayar da mutane daga canjin jinsi a gidan yari. Kula da lafiyar jinsi yana fuskantar hari, ba kawai ga yara ba har ma ga manya. Ba wai don kare mata ba ne. Koyaushe yana game da ƙirƙirar hanyar zagin mutanen trans, don rage mana mutunci, don kwace mana haƙƙoƙinmu, da kuma fitar da mu daga rayuwar jama'a."
Wannan ba irin magana ba ce da za ku yi tsammani a kan jan kafet daga ɗan wasan kwaikwayo, mai shirin tattaunawa, da tauraron talabijin na gaskiya wanda babban nasararsa ya kasance a cikin Orange Is the New Black mai ƙazanta amma mai daɗi.
Amma Cox ba ta da lokaci don jin daɗi. Ta girma a Mobile, Alabama, a cikin shekarun 1970 (tana da shekaru 54), ta fuskanci son zuciya mai tashin hankali da shiru tun tana yarinya. An yi mata zagi saboda kasancewarta mai son maza tun tana yarinya, ana zaginta da baki daga mahaifiyarta, tana tsoron balaga, an yi mata fyade tun tana matashiya, kuma ta fuskanci keɓancewar shiru na talauci lokacin da ta halarci Makarantar Fasaha ta Alabama a kan tallafin karatu. A cikin shekarun 1990, ta canza jinsi kuma ta rayu a matsayin mace baƙar fata trans, tana fuskantar tsangwama na titi akai-akai. Ta tsira daga mafi munin lokutan da ba a yarda da su ba, kuma ba za ta yi shiru ba yanzu.
"Akwai wasu abubuwa da bai kamata ka taɓa gaya wa mutane ba," in ji mahaifiyata. Kuma na yi rayuwa da hakan. Amma hakan ba ya aiki.
Transcendent shine littafinta na farko, tarihin rayuwa. Ta girma tare da ɗan'uwanta tagwaye M Lamar—mawaƙi, mawaƙi mai ƙarfi, kuma mai zane—tare da mahaifiyarsu mara aure. Gloria Cox ta kasance memba na cocin Afirka Methodist Episcopal Zion mai ra'ayin mazan jiya kuma tana da aljanunta na kanta da za ta yi yaƙi, ciki har da mahaifinta mai tashin hankali. Amma ba za ku iya watsi da zaluncinta ba, na baki da na jiki: yawan homophobia na yau da kullun da tsauri a gida. A wani lokaci a cikin littafin, lokacin da Lamar ya jefa dutse ta kofar baranda, Gloria ta fara wani yanayi na watsi wanda ya ƙare da tagwayen a gidan yara. Amma ƙananan bayanai suna da wuyar karantawa. Duk lokacin da Cox ta nuna rauni, sha'awa, ko farin ciki, ana rufe shi.
"Ina zargin ba ni kaɗai ba ne wanda ya girma da iyaye wanda watakila bai fahimce su sosai ba—ko game da zama trans ko zama mai zane," in ji ta a hankali yayin kiran bidiyo daga gidanta a New York.
"Amma ina son mahaifiyata," in ji Cox. "Ko ɗan'uwana yana son ta kuma yana girmama ta. Mace ce mai ban mamaki. Ta yi renon yara biyu—waɗanda suka kasance masu ban mamaki ta hanyoyi da yawa—da kanta. Ta sanya kanta ta wuce makarantar digiri, ta sayi gidanta, ba tare da taimakon namiji ba. Mace ce mai ban mamaki, amma akwai rauni mai yawa a can."
"Wani ɓangare na magana game da kakana da zaluncinsa," in ji ta, "shi ne tunanin yadda wannan zalunci ya fito daga ragowar bautar dukiya. Ya girma a gonaki. Ina ƙoƙarin saka halayen mahaifiyata a cikin mahallin." Cox kuma ta yi imani da ka'idar Dr. Joy DeGruy na "cutar bayan bauta," wani tsari na halaye da ake watsawa ta cikin tsararraki. "Mafi kyawun misalin da zan iya tunawa shine lokacin da iyaye baƙi suka ce, 'Oh, yarona yana da kasala—ba ya aiki sosai.'" Wannan ya fito daga gonaki, in ji Cox, inda za ku rage darajar nasarorin yaronku. "Duk game da kada yaronka ya yi fice ne." An ƙwace yaronka daga gare ka.
A 1983, Cox tana da shekaru 11, "tana barci kowane dare tana addu'a cewa zan farka daban." Ta yi ƙoƙarin kashe kanta kafin ta kai shekaru 12. "Zafi ne na zahiri, na jiki a jikina, rubuta wannan, ƙoƙarin tono shi," in ji ta yanzu. "Yana da zafi sosai. Kamar amai zafin wannan lokacin ne." Bayan ta tsira daga hakan, ta yanke shawarar rungumar kasancewa mai ƙarfin hali da haske a kan ƙaramin kuɗi. A hankali, ta fara tufatar da kanta yadda take so—gwaji, ta hanyar mace—duk daga shagunan sayar da tufafi. Ta kira wannan lokacinta na "Salvation Armani."
Wannan ba littafin baƙin ciki ba ne; ba ya jin yana da wata manufa ta ɓoye ta ramuwa ko fallasa. "Yana game da 'yantar da kaina daga kunyar da ke girma a cikin sirri. Kana tunani, 'Idan mutane suka san wannan game da ni, ba zan zama abin so ba.' Mahaifiyata koyaushe tana cewa, 'Akwai wasu abubuwa da bai kamata ka taɓa gaya wa mutane ba.' Kuma na yi rayuwa da hakan. Amma hakan ba ya aiki."
Na yi alkawari ga kaina cewa ba zan taɓa yin kwayoyi ba. Idan na yi, da alama na mutu.
Ban yi imani da gaske cewa hazaka abu ne da ake haifa da shi ba. Ina ganin shi a matsayin jerin abubuwan da suka faru na farin ciki. Amma yana da ban mamaki yadda Cox da ɗan'uwanta tagwaye suke da hazaka, a hanyoyi daban-daban amma masu haɗuwa. A matsayinsu na matasa, dukansu sun sami tallafin karatu zuwa Makarantar Fasaha ta Alabama—"makarantar Fame, kamar yadda na yi tunani"—ita don rubuce-rubuce da rawa, shi don zane-zane. Wannan lokaci ya fi wuya ga Lamar, amma wannan labarinsa ne. Cox ta ci gaba da samun digiri na rawa daga Kwalejin Marymount Manhattan a New York. "Lokacin da kake nazarin ballet na gargajiya, kana fahimtar yadda yake da wuya a yi kyau a wani abu—nawa dole ka horar da kanka kuma ka yi karatu, nawa horo, sadaukarwa, da sadaukarwa yake ɗauka." Ta ce ba ta taɓa samun jikin da ya dace da shi ba, kuma "akwai mutane da yawa waɗanda suka fi ni kyau."
Bayan haka, wannan shine 1993. "Madonna tana zuwa Sound Factory kuma ta sami mutanen da za su yi bidiyonta na 'Vogue' a can. Kowa yana yin biki tare. Akwai lokaci a New York lokacin da kake son yaran kulob, drag queens, da transsexuals a bikinka, ko ba zai zama biki mai daɗi ba."
Cox ta yi nasara a wannan duniyar, wani ɓangare saboda duk abin farin ciki ne kuma babu baƙin ciki. "Na yi alkawari ga kaina tun ina yarinya cewa ba zan taɓa yin kwayoyi ba. Kuma ban taɓa yi ba. Wannan yana da kyau, domin da alama na mutu. Ba na tsammanin baƙi masu aiki za su iya yin kwayoyi kuma su yi nasara."
"'Yan maza da yawa da na yi soyayya da su sun yi tunanin za su iya matsa mini, kuma na ce, 'Sweetie!' Ban sani ba ko ina alfahari da shi; ina tsammanin ina, wani ɗan lokaci. Amma ba na tsammanin kwayoyi ba su da kyau—wasu mutane za su iya yin su kuma yana da kyau. Ba na yanke hukunci kan wannan."
Yanayin kulob ya canza bayan 'yan shekaru tare da haɓakar "sabis na kwalba"—ainihin, wani mutum mai arziki yana siyan giya da kwalba a farashi mai yawa saboda yana iya. Sex and the City yana da yanayin sabis na kwalba sosai: "Ɗaya daga cikin shirye-shiryen da na fi so a kowane lokaci, amma ina tsammanin ya canza yanayin New York. Jari-hujja ne ya kawo mutane masu ra'ayin mazan jiya. Komai ya zama kasuwanci—babu wuri ga masu fasaha marasa kuɗi waɗanda ke kawo wannan kuzari mai ban mamaki. Ba za su iya biyan kuɗin rayuwa ba kuma, kuma ba za su iya shiga kulob ɗin da suka saba ba."
Cox ta fara canza jinsi a 1998. Tana yin wasan kwaikwayo da yawa a Broadway, yin fina-finai masu zaman kansu, da talabijin na gaskiya, tana mamakin yadda za ta sami kuɗi daga kasancewa mai kyau yayin amfani da dandamalin da take da shi don ƙoƙarin "canza tattaunawa game da mutanen trans." Sai Orange Is the New Black ya zo.
Lokacin da Orange Is the New Black ya zo, yana da "kyakkyawan kasafin kuɗi da waɗannan rubuce-rubuce masu kyau. Duniyar tana da rai sosai."
Dangane da ainihin labarin Piper Kerman—kamar yadda WASP-y za ku iya tunanin—wanda ya ƙare a gidan yari saboda satar kuɗi, wasan kwaikwayon ya kasance mai ƙarfin hali, mai ban dariya, kuma mai kaifi. Ya magance alaƙar launin fata, jima'i na ɗan luwaɗi, zalunci, da rashin hankali na tsarin gidan yarin mata na Amurka. Laverne Cox ta taka rawar Sophia, mai gyaran gashi na trans ga fursunoni. "Abin da ya ba ni mamaki, musamman a Biritaniya, shine duk magana game da yadda mata trans ba za su kasance a gidan yari tare da wasu mata ba. Orange Is the New Black ya dogara ne akan tarihin rayuwa daga shekarun 90. Marubucin ya kasance a gidan yari tare da mace trans." Halin Cox a zahiri yana da mafi tsawon gudu na kowane hali na gefe a cikin jerin. A cikin wani labari mai ban mamaki, ainihin kanta kafin canjin jinsi ya taka rawar Lamar.
Wasan kwaikwayon ya fara nunawa a 2013, lokacin da Cox ke da shekaru 41. Ya sa streaming ya zama abu na gaske kuma ya sanya Netflix a taswira. "Ban yi tsammanin kowa zai yarda da shi ba. Fatana shine cewa masu ba da umarni na iya ganin shi kuma zan iya samun ƙarin aiki. Na yi tunani, ta yaya zan iya mayar da wannan zuwa wasu dama? Sai ya zama mai nasara. Bayan 'yan watanni, tafiya a titi ya zama mahaukaci, don haka rayuwata ta canza sosai. Kafin haka, lokacin da mutane suka ruga zuwa gare ni, don kai mini hari ne ko kiran sunaye."
A wannan lokacin, Cox ta sami lambobin yabo na Emmy guda huɗu da lambobin yabo na Screen Actors Guild guda biyu. Amma babu wasu rawar da yawa ga ɗan wasan trans, kuma koyaushe tana da wasu ayyuka—yin magana a kwalejoji da kamfanoni, yin aiki a matsayin jakadan alama. Wannan bai tashi ba har sai 2018, lokacin da ta fara ɗaukar nauyin jan kafet don wasannin kyauta da abubuwa makamantan haka. A cikin shekaru biyu da suka gabata, duk da haka, ta rasa kashi 90% na kuɗin shigarta. Kwangilolin ɗaukar nauyi sun ƙare kuma ba a sabunta su ba. Ayyukan magana na kamfanoni sun bushe.
Ta bayyana a fili wanda take zargi. "Wannan gwamnati ta yi barazanar yanke tallafin ga duk wata jami'a da ke inganta akidar jinsi ko DEI [Bambancin, Daidaito, da Haɗa kai]." Ba ta ma samun aikin koyarwa, saboda "ko da ina koyar da aji na wasan kwaikwayo na digiri, ana iya ganin shi a matsayin inganta akidar trans. Waɗannan gaskiyar ne. Ba na yin korafi—ina da albarka sosai. Amma abin da ke da muhimmanci a lura shine idan kuɗin shigar Laverne Cox ya ragu sosai, menene game da sauran mutanen trans waɗanda ba su da gata da albarka kamar ni? Akwai sakamako na zahiri na wannan nau'in wariya da zagi."
Cox ta ce wannan ba wani sakamako na ban mamaki ba ne na rikicin Trump. An bayyana shi duka a cikin Project 2025, shirin dama-dama daga Heritage Foundation wanda ya zo kafin nasarar MAGA: "Dole ne a cire duk waɗannan kalmomi daga kowace doka, manufa, da takardar gwamnati: jinsi, akidar jinsi, asalin jinsi, LGBTQ, DEI, zubar da ciki, hana haihuwa."
Aikin wasan kwaikwayo na Cox ya tashi bayan ta yi karatu a ƙarƙashin Susan Batson, wacce ke aiki tun shekarun 1960. Batson ta gaya mata: "Aiki yana kan matsayi mafi girma lokacin da buƙatar da ba a cika ba ta halin ta kasance a kowane lokaci. Idan za ka iya yin hakan a matsayin ɗan wasan kwaikwayo, yana canza mutane." Wannan shine fatan Cox na wasan kwaikwayo—cewa zai kalubalanci zato kuma ya zurfafa tausayi. Kuma tare da Orange Is the New Black, wannan ya zama gaskiya.
Har yanzu tana samun kusantar mutanen trans waɗanda iyayensu suka kalli wannan wasan kwaikwayon kuma suka sulhunta da su. Amma ainihin ta kanta ya zama kalubale ga siyasar da ke kewaye da ita. Wataƙila za ku iya samun aikin Kirista mai tsattsauran ra'ayi na kabilanci ba tare da zaluntar mutanen LGBTQI+ ba. Amma Cox ta nuna cewa lokacin da Nazis suka fara ƙone littattafai a 1933, binciken Magnus Hirschfeld kan mutanen trans da gay yana cikin na farko da ya tafi.
Ta kasance cikin na farko da suka ƙone. A gare ta, "muna cikin wani lokaci mai kama da Jamus a wancan lokacin."
Transcendent: A Memoir an buga shi ta Merky Books (£20) a ranar 25 ga Yuni.
A Burtaniya da Ireland, ana iya tuntuɓar Samaritans kyauta a 116 123. A Amurka, za ku iya kira ko rubuta layin 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline a 988, ko yin hira ta kan layi a 988lifeline.org. A Ostiraliya, sabis na tallafi na rikici Lifeline yana samuwa a 13 11 14. Don sauran layukan taimako na duniya, ziyarci befrienders.org.
Tambayoyi da Aka Yi Yawa
Anan akwai jerin tambayoyin da aka yi yawa dangane da batun Laverne Cox 'Yantar da kaina daga kunya wanda ya shafi yarinta da kasancewarta mace trans a Amurka ta Trump
Tambayoyi na Matakin Farko
1 Wanene Laverne Cox
Laverne Cox 'yar wasan kwaikwayo ce mai lambar yabo kuma mai fafutukar LGBTQ wacce aka fi sani da rawar da ta taka a matsayin Sophia Burset a jerin Netflix Orange Is the New Black Ita ma 'yar fafutukar kare haƙƙin transgender ce
2 Menene 'yantar da kaina daga kunya ke nufi a wannan mahallin
Yana nufin Laverne Cox tana magana ne game da tsarin barin zurfin kunya ƙin kai da hukunci da ta ji tana girma a matsayin mutum transgender Yana game da koyon karɓa da son kai duk da cewa al'umma ta gaya mata cewa ba daidai ba ce ko kuma ta bambanta
3 Me yasa yarinta ya kasance mai wahala haka
Ta fuskanci tsangwama mai tsanani kin amincewa da rashin fahimta Ana yi mata ba'a akai-akai kuma ana yi mata barazanar jiki saboda kasancewarta mai son maza Ta kuma yi fama da asalinta kafin ta sami kalmomin da za ta bayyana cewa ita yarinya ce transgender
4 Me take nufi da Amurka ta Trump
Tana nufin yanayin siyasa da zamantakewa a Amurka a ƙarƙashin gwamnatin Shugaba Donald Trump wanda mutane da yawa suka ji yana da ƙiyayya ga haƙƙin transgender Wannan ya haɗa da manufofi kamar haramcin soja na transgender da kuma janye kariya ga mutanen trans a kiwon lafiya da makarantu
5 Shin wannan labarin game da siyasa ne kawai
A'a Duk da cewa siyasa babban ɓangare ne na shi, labarin ya fi game da tafiyarta ta sirri na warkarwa Yana haɗa abubuwan da suka faru na yarinta masu zafi zuwa kalubalen da take fuskanta a matsayinta na babba da kuma yadda take samun ƙarfi da 'yanci ta hanyar barin kunya
Tambayoyi na Matakin Tsaka-tsaki
6 Wane takamaiman abubuwa daga yarinta take magana akai
Tana yawan tuna kiran sunaye na homophobia, kai hari na jiki daga sauran yara, da kuma jin keɓewa sosai Ta kuma yi magana game da lokacin mai zafi lokacin da manya suka gaya mata cewa tana yin abin da bai dace ba ko kuma ba daidai ba don bayyana ainihin asalin jinsinta
7 Ta yaya yanayin siyasa a ƙarƙashin Trump ya shafe ta musamman
Ta bayyana shi a matsayin lokacin tsoro da damuwa mai yawa Ta ji cewa gwamnati tana ƙoƙarin rage mutuncin mutanen trans da kuma share su musamman mata baƙi trans Wannan ya sa ta ji ƙarin rauni kuma ya tuna mata da kin amincewa da ta ji a matsayinta na yarinya
