Burset Sets it Straight

In the 3rd episode of Orange is The New Black, we delve into the life of Sophia Burset, who is played by Laverne Cox, transgender African American actress and LGBT advocate.  The skillful writing of the show has allowed the viewers to follow main character Piper as she transitions into the life of an image, while simultaneously covering the stories of the women who were already incarcerated and now live there. the show covers how Burset physically transitioned from male to female, as well as the effects it had on her family.

The use of Burset's character opens a discussion to so much involving not only the system of corrections but gender and sexuality as well. One of the amazing things the character of Burset lends is the critique of health care in the corrections system.

• What health care is provided?
• How is mental health addressed?
• How is pregnancy addressed?
• How funds are allocated to health care?
• Is health care based on inmates' needs or facilities fund allocations 

The character of Burset also brings diversity to the image of women. Not only with being African American does she add a dynamic to the view of womanhood, but also being transgender. Her character opens the idea and the view of what a woman is and looks like. Recently an article was published on Huffington Post, written by Brynn Tannehill, about transgender people being included in feminism. Burset is a great tribute to some of the things that the article was mentioning. (Feminist Issues Are Transgender Issues)

Also, in the show Burset's character shines light on the difference between gender identity and sexuality. While the character of Burset a transgender woman, she continued to stay in a monogamous relationship with her wife. While it is not outright discussed in the show this shows that Burset is a trans women in a lesbian relationship. I think this speaks greatly to the audience just how diverse gender and sexual identity can be.

Happy Viewing!