Laverne Cox Puts Upcoming SCOTUS/Transgender Rights Case In Grammy Spotlight

Laverne Cox

Out transgender actress Laverne Cox, of Netflix's Orange Is The New Black and the upcoming Doubt on CBS, had the LGBT moment of the Grammy Awards last night when she used her time center stage to bring attention to transgender high school student Gavin Grimm and his fight for equal rights that is headed to the Supreme Court.

Before introducing Lady Gaga and Metallica, Cox told the audience, “Please Google Gavin Grimm. He’s going to the Supreme Court in March. #StandWithGavin."

Grimm is the 17-year-old student whose fight for the right to use a bathroom that matches his gender identity at his local Virginia school district has garnered headlines in the national LGBT press.

More about Gavin's case from the ACLU:

Gavin is a 17-year-old boy. But because he is transgender, his school board passed a policy barring him from sharing facilities with the rest of his peers. Rather than use the boys’ restroom that all other boys use, Gavin is forced into a converted utility closet or another, separate, stigmatized space every time he needs to use the restroom during the day.

Gavin's case will go before the U.S. Supreme Court on March 28th.

According to the Washington Post, Grimm had no idea Cox was going to bring up his case:

Grimm, now 17 and a high school senior, said Sunday night that he had no idea Cox was going to mention his name and was not watching the Grammys. But his mother Deirdre was in another room, and Grimm found out only when she “started shrieking.”

“I was just so thrilled because I love her. She’s just a beautiful person inside and out,” Grimm said. “I was really touched and thrilled and honored that that was the first thing out of her mouth.”

Grimm, once painfully shy, has become the unlikely standard-bearer for transgender student rights.

“At this point, that’s the role I occupy and I want to make sure I’m using that platform for positive,” Grimm said. “I definitely didn’t set out at the beginning wanting to or expecting to shouted on the Grammys.”

a powerful #GRAMMYs call to action by @Lavernecox for @GrimmGavinE #StandWithGavin pic.twitter.com/AFXn82tPDe

— Challenger (@bakedinapie) February 13, 2017

#StandwithGavin he is going to #SCOTUS in March. He is just 17 years old and wants the same rights as every other boys in his high school.

A photo posted by laverne cox (@lavernecox) on Feb 12, 2017 at 7:34pm PST