Laverne Cox details transphobic attack: 'Be careful out there'

Laverne Cox says she was attacked while walking with a friend in Los Angeles. The actress says the attacker wanted to know if she was male or female. File Photo by Christine Chew/UPI
1 of 2 | Laverne Cox says she was attacked while walking with a friend in Los Angeles. The actress says the attacker wanted to know if she was male or female. File Photo by Christine Chew/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Laverne Cox said on Instagram that she and a friend endured a transphobic attack while walking in Los Angeles.

"We were just attacked in Griffith Park. We are fine. Be careful out there. #TransIsBeautiful," Cox captioned a video on Sunday that features the actress recounting the incident.

Cox says a man aggressively asked her and her friend for the time. The man, after hearing the time from the friend, then asked, 'Guy or girl?' in reference to Cox.

The man then started attacking Cox's friend after the friend verbally dismissed them. Cox called the police and the attacker fled the scene.

"It's not safe in the world. I don't like to think about that a lot, but it is the truth. It's the truth and it's not safe if you're a trans person," Cox says in the video.

"It doesn't matter who you are. You can be Laverne Cox, you know, or whatever that means. If you're trans, you're going to experience stuff like this," she continued.

A number of celebrities commented on Cox's video with words of encouragement.

"I love you," Pose star Indya Moore said.

"Woman!!!!!!!! Ugh. I am so sorry. Love you," Kerry Washington said.

"Good lord. I'm so thankful for your friend," Peppermint of RuPaul's Drag Race fame said.

"I'm so sorry. So glad you are safe," Jessica Alba said.

"I always say we can plan years in advance on what we would do in that sort of situation or if that was me I would have done this or that...? But then the time comes Bam...! And your in it and your forced to move with instincts which I always say its God Talking to you," J. Alexander of American's Next Top Model said.

"And New York will teach a girl quick street navigation for her travels through a walk in the park or around the world. Being who you are in never anything Wrong," Alexander continued.

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