A trans man from Kansas City, Missouri, received the shock of his life recently when he was introduced to celebrated actress and trans activist Laverne Cox.
Rickey, 25, was filming an episode of Fearless, the new web series hosted by model Ashley Graham and produced for Ellen DeGeneres's video platform EllenTube.
“Being transgender and living in Kansas City, it’s not easy because people don’t know your story, so they judge,” Rickey explains in the episode.
"I think you're so incredibly brave and you've faced so many obstacles," Graham tells Rickey.
"I have a friend who has gone through some of what you're going through, that can relate to you in a much deeper way."
She adds: "And I want to introduce you."
Cox then reveals herself from around a nearby corner, resulting in Rickey collapsing to the floor in tears. The man later explains to Cox that, despite his own transition, he had never met another trans person before.
Sharing the emotional moment on Instagram, it was clear that Cox was still impacted by the encounter.
“I’m crying right now trying to write this caption."
She continued: “Thank you Rickey for inspiring me and being a huge part of why I do what I do.”
