Eddie Izzard opens up about coming out and hails ‘role model’ Laverne Cox
Transgender British comedian Eddie Izzard says he intends to stand for Parliament at the next election.
Izzard has long been a supporter of the Labour Party and has frequently teased the idea of standing for office.
Comedian Eddie Izzard campaigns for the Labour party in Cardiff (Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)
“I’m not going to muck about at it. I’ve done a number of very serious things in my life.
“Coming out as transgender 30 years ago was not easy,” Izzard told Metro.
“I had to keep my career going. It was tricksy.
“Gay or lesbian doesn’t really impact, there’s no particular badge you have to wear.
“Transgender, they notice you wearing make-up. But I’ve tried to invent a way of getting through it.
“We’ll see if people vote for me. If I get in, I’ll see what I can do.”
He is also attending a memorial event in memory of the murdered Jo Cox where he will take part in a 6.5km run in West Yorkshire on June 25.
On his Twitter bio, Izzard describes himself as a “British European” and he has spoken out against Brexit.
“I went on the [anti-Brexit] march and I campaigned heavily and I’m still a British European,” he said.
“We’ve got to learn to live and work together in some form.”
Izzard came out as transgender 30 years ago and has actively campaigned for trans rights.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter Izzard referred to both Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox as role models.
“One of the greatest activists is an African-American woman who is on Orange Is the New Black, Laverne Cox.
“What she had to go through has been very tough.
“We do what we can, we soldier on, and we try to find positives in the negative,” Izzard told the Hollywood Reporter
Izzard has also had a new book published in which he discusses how he came out as transgender and the challenges he faced growing up.
The self-proclaimed ‘executive transvestite’ recently made a return to stand-up comedy.
The comedian is in cinemas as the voice of feline rock star Angus Scattergood in cartoon Rock Dog.
