--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When a trans woman gets called a man…" description: "\"When a trans woman gets called a man, that is an act of violence.\" — Laverne Cox" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30d/laverne-cox-12172_acts-of-violence_when-a-trans-woman-gets-called-a-man-tha_1925499.jpg" --- # When a trans woman gets called a man, that is an act of… ![“When a trans woman gets called a man, that is an act of violence.” quote by Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30d/laverne-cox-12172_acts-of-violence_when-a-trans-woman-gets-called-a-man-tha_1925499.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30d/laverne-cox-12172_acts-of-violence_when-a-trans-woman-gets-called-a-man-tha_1925499.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30d/laverne-cox-12172_acts-of-violence_when-a-trans-woman-gets-called-a-man-tha_1925499.jpg) > “When a trans woman gets called a man, that is an act of violence.” [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being misgendered is a violent act because it denies identity and inflicts psychological harm. **In simple terms:** Misgendering is a form of violence. Key Takeaway Respect gender identity in language. Themes respect identity violence Mood serious determined Type advocacy educational When to use this quote - public spaces - online interactions - media representation Key Concepts gender affirmation psychological impact Questions to Reflect On - What does respectful language achieve? - How can we educate others on gender identity? A Different Perspective Some may argue intent matters more than impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acts of violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acts-of-violence/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) ## Related quotes > [Every act of violence is also a message that needs to be understood. (23-24)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/every-act-of-violence-is-also-a-message-that-needs-to-be-understood/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [The cost of growth is always a small act of violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/the-cost-of-growth-is-always-a-small-act-of-violence/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [The attention of the media is only caught by acts of violence... so I must perform this act of violence against myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-change/the-attention-of-the-media-is-only-caught-by-acts-of-violence-so-i/) Kathy Change > [One act of violence takes four generations to heal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/one-act-of-violence-takes-four-generations-to-heal/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I have yet to see a serious act of violence that was not provoked by the experience of feeling shamed and humiliated, disrespected and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gilligan/i-have-yet-to-see-a-serious-act-of-violence-that-was-not-provoked-by-2/) [James Gilligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gilligan/) > [I think people are propelled towards violence, and what propels them is much more interesting than the actual act of violence itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-farrell/i-think-people-are-propelled-towards-violence-and-what-propels-them/) [Colin Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-farrell/) > [War is an act of violence pushed to its utmost limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/war-is-an-act-of-violence-pushed-to-its-utmost-limits/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [It takes four generations to recover from every act of violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-adamson/it-takes-four-generations-to-recover-from-every-act-of-violence/) [Rebecca Adamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-adamson/) > [War is an act of violence pushed to its utmost bounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/war-is-an-act-of-violence-pushed-to-its-utmost-bounds/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [The introduction of numbers as coordinates is an act of violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-weyl/the-introduction-of-numbers-as-coordinates-is-an-act-of-violence/) [Hermann Weyl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-weyl/) > [We know we can't stop every act of violence, every act of evil in the world, but maybe we could try to stop one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-know-we-can-t-stop-every-act-of-violence-every-act-of-evil-in-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [War therefore is an act of violence to compel our opponent to fulfill our will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/war-therefore-is-an-act-of-violence-to-compel-our-opponent-to-fulfill/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [An unjust law in itself is an act of violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/an-unjust-law-in-itself-is-an-act-of-violence/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I am a trans woman. My sisters are trans women. We are not secrets. We are not shameful. We are worthy of respect, desire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-mock/i-am-a-trans-woman-my-sisters-are-trans-women-we-are-not-secrets-we/) [Janet Mock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-mock/) > [They wanted to force me to be someone that I wasn't. They wanted me to delegitimize myself as a trans woman and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cece-mcdonald/they-wanted-to-force-me-to-be-someone-that-i-wasn-t-they-wanted-me-to/) [CeCe McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cece-mcdonald/) ## More by Laverne Cox > [I think transwomen, and transpeople in general, show everyone that you can define what it means to be a man or woman on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/i-think-transwomen-and-transpeople-in-general-show-everyone-that-you/) [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) > [What took time for my mom was getting the pronouns right and calling me by a different name. Laverne was my middle name before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/what-took-time-for-my-mom-was-getting-the-pronouns-right-and-calling/) [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) > [So often, trans roles don't even go to trans actors. Most of the fabulous trans roles that have won people Oscars, we didn't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/so-often-trans-roles-don-t-even-go-to-trans-actors-most-of-the/) [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) > [I believe that when we love someone, we respect them, and we listen to them; we feel that their voice matters. And- we let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/i-believe-that-when-we-love-someone-we-respect-them-and-we-listen-to/) [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) > [It is revolutionary for any trans person to choose to be seen and visible in a world that tells us we should not exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/it-is-revolutionary-for-any-trans-person-to-choose-to-be-seen-and/) [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) > [I just have to be myself. I'm not perfect, and I'm going to make mistakes; I might say the wrong thing. I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/i-just-have-to-be-myself-i-m-not-perfect-and-i-m-going-to-make/) [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) > [I'm so grateful that I had the luxury of transitioning in private. Because when you transition in the public eye, the transition becomes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/i-m-so-grateful-that-i-had-the-luxury-of-transitioning-in-private/) [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) > [When people have points of reference that are humanizing, that demystifies difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/when-people-have-points-of-reference-that-are-humanizing-that/) [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) > [“Everything that you're going through now is for a reason. You just have to survive so that one day you can thrive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/everything-that-you-re-going-through-now-is-for-a-reason-you-just/) [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) > [Just me existing, as an openly black transgender woman from a working-class background, thriving, is a political act. My brother always reminds me that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/just-me-existing-as-an-openly-black-transgender-woman-from-a-working/) [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) > [By doing the work to love ourselves more, I believe we will love each other better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/by-doing-the-work-to-love-ourselves-more-i-believe-we-will-love-each/) [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) > [“We are not what other people say we are. We are who we know ourselves to be, and we are what we love. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/we-are-not-what-other-people-say-we-are-we-are-who-we-know-ourselves/) [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) > [Beyoncé means so much to me. Throughout my transition, Beyoncé has been there as a style icon, an example of excellence, of beauty, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/beyonc-means-so-much-to-me-throughout-my-transition-beyonc-has-been/) [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) > [The preoccupation with transition and with surgery objectifies trans people, and we don't get to really deal with the real lived experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/the-preoccupation-with-transition-and-with-surgery-objectifies-trans/) [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) > [Everyone is insecure. I think, really, it comes from, like, a desire to want to be in control of how you're represented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/everyone-is-insecure-i-think-really-it-comes-from-like-a-desire-to/) [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) [Explore all 56 Laverne Cox quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) ## More Acts of violence quotes > [There was a man named Robert Dear who in court said he was a warrior for the babies, whose ex-wife talked about his Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hayes/there-was-a-man-named-robert-dear-who-in-court-said-he-was-a-warrior/) [Chris Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hayes/) > [“By the time they're out of preschool, most children have already seen thousands of acts of violence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-k-vaughan/by-the-time-they-re-out-of-preschool-most-children-have-already-seen/) [Brian K. Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-k-vaughan/) > [We would never ask any other faith community to stand up and condemn acts of violence committed by people within their groups. The fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-sarsour/we-would-never-ask-any-other-faith-community-to-stand-up-and-condemn/) [Linda Sarsour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-sarsour/) > [I learned that victims come in all image - some raped, some witnessing an act of violence, some losing loved ones. I learned that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zainab-salbi/i-learned-that-victims-come-in-all-image-some-raped-some-witnessing/) [Zainab Salbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zainab-salbi/) > [I want people around the world to hear me. To all those who would do us harm, no act of terror will go unpunished.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-people-around-the-world-to-hear-me-to-all-those-who-would-do/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [How do we deal with not just the acts of violence, but the extremist ideology that lies behind them? Because though the numbers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/how-do-we-deal-with-not-just-the-acts-of-violence-but-the-extremist/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [Muslim leaders around the globe have to continue working with us to decisively and unequivocally reject the hateful ideology that groups like ISIL and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/muslim-leaders-around-the-globe-have-to-continue-working-with-us-to/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The introduction of numbers as coordinates by reference to the particular division scheme of the open one-dimensional continuum is an act of violence whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-weyl/the-introduction-of-numbers-as-coordinates-by-reference-to-the/) [Hermann Weyl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-weyl/) > [“He wished he understood where they come from: all the terrorists, religious revolutionists and hate-criminals. Did terrorizing entire communities of people help them sleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thisuri-wanniarachchi/he-wished-he-understood-where-they-come-from-all-the-terrorists/) [Thisuri Wanniarachchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thisuri-wanniarachchi/) > [By the age of 18, the average American has witnessed 200,000 acts of violence on television, most of them occurring during Game 1 of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-rushin/by-the-age-of-18-the-average-american-has-witnessed-200-000-acts-of/) [Steve Rushin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-rushin/) > [Of course I tensed up when he touched me. To be with him was to hurt him-inevitably. And that's what I'd felt as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/of-course-i-tensed-up-when-he-touched-me-to-be-with-him-was-to-hurt/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [We have agreed with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to cease all acts of violence against the Israelis and against the Palestinians wherever they are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-abbas/we-have-agreed-with-prime-minister-ariel-sharon-to-cease-all-acts-of/) [Mahmoud Abbas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-abbas/) > [I feel like acts of violence against women are detestable, and they need to be dealt with, and they are important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-priestley/i-feel-like-acts-of-violence-against-women-are-detestable-and-they/) [Jason Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-priestley/) > [Another bigger problem is the fact that these incidents of police violence continue to occur because far too often the officers on the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakeem-jeffries/another-bigger-problem-is-the-fact-that-these-incidents-of-police/) [Hakeem Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakeem-jeffries/) > [During the summer of 2009, the debate on health care reform was emotional and intense. At its best, it represented the free exchange of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chellie-pingree/during-the-summer-of-2009-the-debate-on-health-care-reform-was/) [Chellie Pingree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chellie-pingree/) [Browse all 133 Acts of violence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acts-of-violence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When a trans woman gets called a man, that is an act of violence.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Laverne Cox" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/when-a-trans-woman-gets-called-a-man-that-is-an-act-of-violence/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acts of violence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/when-a-trans-woman-gets-called-a-man-that-is-an-act-of-violence/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30d/laverne-cox-12172_acts-of-violence_when-a-trans-woman-gets-called-a-man-tha_1925499.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30d/laverne-cox-12172_acts-of-violence_when-a-trans-woman-gets-called-a-man-tha_1925499.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30d/laverne-cox-12172_acts-of-violence_when-a-trans-woman-gets-called-a-man-tha_1925499.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When a trans woman gets called a man, that is an act of violence.” — Laverne Cox", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Laverne Cox", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When a trans woman gets called...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/when-a-trans-woman-gets-called-a-man-that-is-an-act-of-violence/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/when-a-trans-woman-gets-called-a-man-that-is-an-act-of-violence/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```