Students Celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility

(Photo Allyson Frantz/The Gettysburgian)

(Photo Allyson Frantz/The Gettysburgian)

By Kyle Beatty, Staff Writer

On Saturday, Mar. 27, those taking advantage of the warm weather by taking a walk down Carlisle Street were greeted with blue and pink decorations on the porches and front yards of six College Houses, with a few more scattered across campus. House Leaders and members had set up stands for an early celebration of Transgender Day of Visibility (Mar. 31st), an event dedicated to celebrating the lives and accomplishments of trans people of all backgrounds. The event, which ran from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m, was organized by QHouse Leader Randy Feeley ‘21 in cooperation with ten other College Houses. The day was organized as a “trick-or-treat” walk around campus, with each participating House handing out its own treats and a card with a picture and short bio of a trans performer, activist, politician, or other notable figure.

Multiple House Leaders were asked to describe what the event, and the term “visibility,” meant to them.

“Visibility to me, especially on this campus, is for other trans people,” said Feeley. “It’s not about forgetting that trans people, especially trans women of color, are still oppressed and put in danger on a daily basis, but it’s about refuting the narrative that being trans is just suffering; it’s also full of love, support, and joy, and those things deserve to be celebrated.”

RISE House Leader Maci Mark ‘21 shared a similar message of celebration and hope. “To me, visibility means showing how the future can be a happy and successful one for trans people,” wrote Mark. Although rampant transphobia can make hope seem distant, the event is “a great way to combat that and show how trans people can be successful and happy. It is a celebration of transgender joy.”

STEM House, Blue Note House, Writing House, German House, International House, LatinX, Global Studies, RISE, QHouse, Hillel, and Japan House participated in the event.

Author: Gettysburgian Staff

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