"Going through life, you try to cover and hide, but it doesn't really work," said Laverne Cox, 30, featured in Allure's "The Naked Truth" spread.
Cox turned down the shoot by Norman Jean Roy initially, but then reconsidered. "I’m a black transgender woman. I felt this could be really powerful for the communities that I represent," she said.
"Black women are not often told that we're beautiful unless we align with certain standards. Trans women certainly are not told we're beautiful. Seeing a black transgender woman embracing and loving everything about her body might be inspiring for some folks."