Transgender awareness and acceptance has been on the forefront of the media recently -- with "Keeping up with the Kardashians" patriarch and Olympian Bruce Jenner sharing his emotional journey as well as the strong presence of "Orange Is the New Black" star Laverne Cox, a transgender actress and transgender equality advocate.

The "OITNB" trailblazer, who plays a transgender inmate at Litchfield Penitentiary, is also making waves on the collegiate level.

Cox wants the impressionable youth to embrace their true selves and told an enthusiastic 1,000-strong audience at Cal State Fullerton Wednesday night to "not be gender police" and to "allow people to express their gender in ways that feel most authentic to them," according to The Orange County Register.

The 30-year-old's message was so impactful that she drew standing ovations during both the start and finish of her hour-long talk. She shared her heartbreaking story of how she was bullied, shamed and humiliated throughout her life for "behaving in ways contrary to traditional male norms."

"I do stand here this evening claiming my womanhood in a social context," Cox said.

Born in Alabama as a male with a twin brother, Cox began wearing women's clothes in high school and medically transitioned to becoming a woman after moving to New York during her college years, the OCR points out.

The advocate for transgender equality also pointed out that her transition wasn't easy on her family either. "It took a lot of years for my mother to accept me as her daughter," she explained.

Recognizing the scary statistics of high attempted-suicide rates in the transgender community, Cox recalled her suicide attempt as a sixth grader because she felt ashamed for being attracted to boys.

Thankfully, with time and her move to New York and the support of transgender friends, Cox became more comfortable in her own skin, which completely changed and elevated her life.