One adorable little transgender girl got a special surprise last week: a huge hug from transgender activist and actress Laverne Cox.
The girl’s mom, Marlo Mack, wrote about her daughter’s run-in with Cox on her blog Gendermom. According to Mack, the two went to see Cox give a speech at her hometown. Shortly after the event, they were invited to a smaller reception where the Orange Is the New Black star would be making an appearance.
Here’s how Mack described Cox’s encounter with her daughter:
Laverne waved her Hollywood wave at the crowd, thanked us graciously, and then looked down at the little girl blocking her path.
“Well, hello,” she said.
“I’m M.,” my daughter said.
Laverne smiled down at her. “Hello, M.”
“And I’m trans,” M. said.
I don’t think Ms. Cox saw that coming. The crowd around me gasped their approval (“Did you hear what that little girl said?”). Laverne seemed at a bit of a loss. She looked around the room. “Is anyone with her?”
I stepped forward. “I’m her mom.” Then I got tongue-tied in the face of celebrity, and forgot how to speak like a normal human. I have no idea what I said.
But M. knew what to do. She went in for a hug. Ms. Cox crouched down to meet M.’s hug at eye level, and as I frantically snapped photos for posterity, I heard her say to my daughter, “Remember, honey, transgender is beautiful.”
Thank you, life.
Luckily, Mack took photos of the chance meeting.
H/T World of Wonder | Photos via Marlo Mack/Gendermom