NYU’s LGBTQ Student Center joined the global transgender and gender non-conforming community in celebrating Trans* Awareness Week from Nov. 18 through Nov. 21.
Led by the LGBTQ Student Center and the T-Party, NYU’s club for transgender, gender nonconforming students and their allies, several events and performances featuring members of the transgender community are scheduled for the week.
For the kickoff event on Nov. 18, comedian Red Durkin performed a stand-up set in the Kimmel Center for University Life. Durkin spoke about issues she faces as a transgender woman within different communities.
“I really don’t like the term ‘woman trapped in a man’s body,’” Durkin said. “I prefer ‘woman trapped in a gorilla suit.’”
LS freshman Ishani Dugar said she appreciated Durkin’s humor because it was not demeaning.
“She wasn’t making fun of anything,” Dugar said. “But she could still make us laugh about some of the issues that the queer and trans communities face.”
Leading up to Trans* Awareness Week, the LGBTQ Student Center’s Facebook and Twitter pages shared posters created by the University of California, Riverside as part of its TransFigures Poster Project. This initiative, led by UC Riverside’s LGBT Resource Center, features notable transgender individuals who are active in their communities.
“We’ve been sharing these posters to raise awareness about transgender folks who do all sorts of things within the community,” said Chris Woods, the program administrator for the LGBTQ Student Center. “These are individuals who are teachers, lawyers, doctors, activists, and most importantly, role models for trans youth.”
This campaign features individuals such as Mia Yamamoto, an Asian-American transgender woman and public defender, and Van Bailey, the founding director of BLGTQ Student Life at Harvard University.
Events are planned to take place throughout the week. On Nov. 19, Kye Allums, the first openly transgender NCAA Division 1 athlete, plans to speak at Kimmel. On Wednesday, Nov. 20, attendees can attend a workshop on combating transphobic violence and visit the Audre Lorde Project’s Manhattan headquarters for its Trans* Day of Remembrance ceremony. A screening of the award-winning documentary “Mohammed to Maya,” along with a panel discussion with crew members will take place on Thursday, Nov. 21.
Gallatin sophomore and co-facilitator of the T-Party Holden Compton-lujin said he hopes people outside the transgender community attend the events this week.
“I think that trans issues on campus are often forgotten or underrepresented, especially outside of the LGBTQ Student Center,” Compton-lujin said.