Laverne Cox, Part 1: ’90s NYC Nightlife & Her Memoir

Laverne Cox is here, and she's giving us two full episodes.This is the conversation we've been waiting for! Laverne sits down to talk about 1990s New York nightlife, trans visibility, and her new memoir, Transcendent (out June 9, available for presale now). Before the Emmy nominations and the global recognition, Laverne was on the downtown dance floors during one of the most electric eras in New York City club culture. The stories do not disappoint. We talk about what it actually felt like to navigate that world as a Black trans woman in the '90s—the joy, the complicated politics of race and access, the relationship between downtown club culture and the ballroom communities uptown, and the messy shift that happened when bottle service moved in and something essential moved out.There's also some serious sparkle in here: Laverne on the dance floor at Beyoncé and Jay-Z's Oscar party. Lina DJing Laverne's 50th birthday celebration which was perfectly timed to the release of her Barbie doll. The whole conversation about chosen family and community-building in a world before social media.Laverne’s memoir opens up about trauma, shame, dissociation, family secrets, and healing. Part 1 is Laverne at her most reflective, funny, vulnerable, and expansive. And part 2 picks up right where we left off.Click here to order Laverne’s book Transcendent: A MemoirApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cutting-up-a-kiki-with-connie-lina/id1849020008Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/200MOk48TaLRPLQvzx2UK0?si=6499dd094f704a10iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-the-cutting-up-a-kiki-wit-303161901 Write to us at [email protected] follow us on instagram:@TheCuttingUp@TheRealConnieGirl@TheLinaBradford@PrideHouseMedia“The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina” is a Pride House Media production.Producers: Josh Rosenzweig & Matthew Breen.Graphic Design by Daryl Raymond.Original Music by 808 BEACH (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman), courtesy of Peace Bisquit.  Production Design by Darryl Dickens. Our very special thanks to Jason Kanner for all your support.