Candis Cox is a Gender and Sexuality educator, lecturer, and advocate for the LGBTQ community in Raleigh NC, where she lives with her husband, and throughout the country. Originally from Syracuse NY, she relocated to Raleigh to attend NC State University where she obtained a BA in Sociology. Originally scheduled to attend Campbell law school, she instead chose to focus on becoming her authentic self, completing her gender transition in 2003.
Until early 2016, she worked as a customer experience representative and compliance resolution officer with American Airlines. Since 2008 she has been a guest lecturer for the NC community college system and UNC college system, working to help educate students and staff on transgender, women’s, LGBTQ and minority issues in society and the workplace. Since 2012 Candis has expanded her lectures to include numerous business and health care agencies to further increase visibility, understanding, and support for the LGBTQ community. Candis has worked with several non-profit organizations, raising money and support for LGBTQ support organizations and HIV/AIDS treatment and research groups.
Currently, Candis serves on the Board of Directors for EqualityNC, works with HRC (Human Rights Campaign), and works by speaking at events, businesses, schools, and other organizations to educate on Gender and Sexuality. Candis has been featured in a number of news specials, has been interviewed by news networks across the globe, and is, to date, the only transgender person to have met with the current Governor Pat McCrory to discuss his anti-LGBT “bathroom bill” H.B.2. Candis also made history by being the first transgender woman to walk the final look in a fashion show when she walked the runway in the NCFA Style Week fashion show in Charlotte, NC wearing a custom dress designed by Tumbler and Tipsy’s Michael Kuluva. The dress was designed to represent the transgender flag with alternating white, pink, white, blue on the skirt, and Equality with the yellow bodice.