Laverne Cox‘s milkshake brings all the boys to the yard as she rocks some super flirty looks for the August 2015 issue of Nylon magazine.

In the issue the 31 year old actress opens up on her struggles as a trans woman in Hollywood, dating men who could not acknowledge their relationship publicly, balancing being an actress and an activist for the LGBT community and the constant critique and focus on her appearance. Get into some of the excerpts from the interview and snaps photographed by Felisha Tolentino.

On Being able to go to Paris and not be recognized 

“I can’t go three blocks in New York without getting recognized anymore,” she says. “In Paris I actually went to Zara and tried on clothes. I felt so normal.”

How do you manage to combine activism with your career and stay passionate about both?

“Ultimately, I’m a storyteller—imagining different ways to tell transgender stories. I’m really interested in changing the ways in which we talk with and about transgender people, not only in personal conversation but also how we cover those stories in the media. What I really have to prioritize is self-care, something as basic as getting sleep. I’ve had to say no to a lot of things. There’s a cost for me emotionally when I speak up about things. I’m always a target because I’m a public figure, and I’m not doing activism in obscurity. I have to get myself ready for the bullets.”

On her decision to forgo cosmetic facial feminization surgery.

“Years ago I wanted to have the kind of cosmetic facial feminization surgery that Caitlyn [Jenner] has made popular in terms of people’s understanding. But I didn’t have the money to do it. I’m so blessed and grateful that I didn’t because I would look completely different. I’ve had to learn to love and accept all those things about me that make me distinctly trans: my broad shoulders, my big hands and feet, my deep voice. It’s so deeply ingrained in this culture, though. When Caitlyn’s Vanity Fair cover came out, the language that people were using was deeply misogynist—she looked beautiful according to very specific standards, and that’s deeply problematic.”

On how the media and society focus on the appearance of trans women

“So many people on my social media pages say, “You’re gorgeous,” and who doesn’t like hearing that? But it made me think: Are people saying I’m beautiful for a trans person? Are they saying I’m beautiful because they couldn’t tell I’m trans? I mean, you can find blogs where people are like, “Laverne Cox is drop-dead gorgeous,” and there are other blogs saying I have “linebacker proportions.”

Read the full article over at Nylon by clicking HERE