"If someone needs to express their gender in a way that is different, that is okay, and they should not be denied health-care. They should not be bullied. They don't deserve to be victims of violence...That's what people need to understand," said Cox, who is also a trans advocate.
She was congratulated by Ellen DeGeneres on landing the magazine cover.
"Laverne Cox is the first transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine. It's about Time," Ellen tweeted.