March is Women's History Month. In honor of this time of year, Equality NC is creating space to honor women whose work, lives and legacies have proven integral to the advancement of lived equality for marginalized folks. We hope you'll enjoy these weekly profiles throughout the month, and consider the ways in which these individuals have laid the foundation for ENC's work across our state today.

Laverne Cox is one of the most famous transgender women in the world, rocketing into cultural consciousness through Netflix's hit show "Orange Is The New Black" in 2013. Throughout her career, she's straddled the worlds of actress and activist and achieved numerous milestones, including becoming the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in any capacity.

In 2014, Cox appeared on the cover of Time magazine in what the publication dubbed as the "Transgender Tipping Point," encapsulating a moment in our culture where the fight for transgender rights and protections had spilled over into mainstream conversation. More recently, Cox brought ACLU Attorney Chase Strangio as her date to the 2019 Emmy Awards, and carried a custom rainbow clutch featuring the phrases "Oct 8", "Title VII", and "Supreme Court." This demonstration was in reference one of the three U.S. Supreme Court cases this year that will decide whether LGBTQ people are protected from discrimination in the workplace.

Throughout her years in the spotlight, Cox has been a vocal spokesperson for our community and drawn attention to the injustices and violence experienced by trans women of color. Equality NC owes a debt to all public advocates who use their platforms to fight for our communities.

As we head into this election season and fight for even further visibility for our communities, will you step up and help support the work of ENC? This Women's History Month, we're asking you to consider supporting the work of ENC as we continue to fight for a more just and equitable world for black folks, queer folks, and everyone marginalized by power and privilege.

Thank you for all that you do.