Laverne Cox Tells 7-Year-Old Trans Girl: ‘Transgender is Beautiful’

A 7-year-old girl, who identifies as transgender, received advice from Orange is the New Black actor and activist Laverne Cox earlier this month, according to the little girl’s mother.

The mother, Mack, who writes under the pseudonym Gender mom, blogged about the celebrity encounter a couple of weeks ago, when she says Cox passed through her town for a speaking engagement.

“I had shown M. the photo of Ms. Cox on the cover of TIME when it came out last year, so M. had a vague idea that this was someone important who was also transgender,” wrote Mack. “But I don’t think she really got it until we showed up for the event.”

Mack said M. was thrilled when they first got to the event, but even more so after they learned they also had the chance to meet Cox, thanks to a friend.

Mack said that she and M. staked out by a few doors outside of the reception hall, and that M.’s eyes were glued to the doors waiting for Cox to emerge.

When the actress finally walked through the doors, Mack said she approached her daughter to say Hello.

She wrote:

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.

Mack then said after a few photos were snapped, Cox crouched down to M.’s eye level to give her a hug just before saying to her daughter:

“Remember, honey, transgender is beautiful.”