Hear Garcelle Beauvais Discuss “Pretty Privilege” With Laverne Cox

They say beauty is pain, but that’s not always the case.

Laverne Cox is ready for more deep celebrity conversations on If We’re Being Honest, which returns Nov. 9. And in this sneak peek at the E! series’ new episode, Laverne and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills‘ Garcelle Beauvais discuss a public bias that’s not often talked about.

Kicking off the conversation, Laverne recalls, “I remember my friend Janet Mock was being interviewed by Oprah [Winfrey] on Super Soul Sunday, and Oprah was asking her about ‘pretty privilege.'” The term refers to how people are treated differently based on their perceived beauty.

As a trans woman, this bias is something Laverne has become very familiar with over the years. “I certainly didn’t start out feeling beautiful,” the Inventing Anna star continues, “but I always understood the power of beauty, and there’s privilege there.”

But as Laverne points out, being viewed as pretty in the public eye doesn’t mean you always get off easy. “When you’re privileged, it doesn’t mean that your life is easier than anybody else’s,” she notes, “but it just means there’s something you don’t have to think about.”