Actress Laverne Cox topped UK paper The
Guardian's third annual
World Pride Power List, which celebrates the world's most influential
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
“A new entry at number one is actor,
activist and trans woman Laverne Cox, best known for her character
Sophia Burset in the television series Orange is the New Black,
broadcast on Netflix in 2013,” the paper wrote.
“In 2010, the VH1 makeover series
TRANSform Me, made her the first African American transgender
person to produce and star in her own television show. In April
2014, Cox was honoured by GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation) with its Stephen F Kolzak award for her work as an
advocate for the transgender community. Cox made the cover of Time
magazine on 9 June 2014.”
Ellen DeGeneres, who last year ranked
first on the list, came in second this year. Recently out Olympic
diver Tom Daley ranked third.
Rounding out the top ten are
actor-activists Stephen Fry (4) and Sir Ian McKellen (5), TV
presenters Gok Wan (6), Clare Balding (7) and Graham Norton (8),
musician Elton John (9) and Nike CIO Anthony Watson (10).
(The
rest of the list can be found here.)