By Mylo Fisherman
Transgender Day of Visibility is an annual event held on March 31, dedicated to celebrating transgender people and drawing attention and awareness to the discrimination they faced and the contributions they add to our society. This year, the Adelphi Pride Committee (APC) decided that instead of dedicating one day of programming to this celebration, the programming will span over a month.
Greg Miller, chair of the APC, said, “Trans Programming is important to the APC because it creates unity, education and awareness. Our month-long celebration is about the continuing dialogue of trans awareness and all the great things that come out of an underrepresented community. We’re here to support our LGBTQIA+ family.”
To kick off the celebration, on March 10 from 8:30-10 am, there will be a virtual research seminar. Professor Devin Thornburg and assistant professor Eric Knee, both of the College of Education and Health Sciences, engaged in work with students from Adelphi and the University of South Florida working with Safe Place International and the DREAM academy. During the research seminar, students who worked on this project will present their results.
On March 24 from 6-7 pm the Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA) will be hosting “Paint Your Name & Pronouns in Campbell Lounge 2 at the Center for Recreations & Sports (CRS). In this event, you’ll be able to express your creativity by painting your name and pronouns on a wooden board.
River Gorman, GSA’s event chair, said that “for trans-spectrum people, it can be hard to socially transition and to constantly remind people of their new names and pronouns. Projects like these encourage them to be proud of themselves and serve as reminders for other people.”
On March 28 from 3-5 pm on Zoom, the Center for Student and Community Engagement (CSE) will be hosting a Safe Zone Training. Through this training, you’ll learn how to become an advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community. You’ll also be given the tools and education needed to speak out against homophobia and transphobia contributing to a safer campus climate.
On March 31, Transgender Day of Visibility, from 6-8 pm, Adelphi University’s Student Nursing Association (AUSNA) and GSA are hosting a transgender nursing event. During this event, trans people in the nursing profession will speak about their experiences as well as the scientific part of transition (medications, hormones, etc.). Although this event is relevant to people in the healthcare field, it’s open to everyone on campus. AUSNA will also have a standardized panel were a nurse and a transgender patient roleplay a provider/patient case study scenario. Participants will pay a $3 entry fee, which will be donated to an organization that helps transgender individuals.
Rubi Varughese, vice president of NSNA Affairs on AUSNA’s EBoard, said, “We [AUSNA] wanted to include a transgender panel as a part of our Nursing Association events because it is a part that isn't stressed upon our nursing curriculum. If in the case you ever encounter a transgender patient in your journey, it's a great way to know what to do and not to do to not cross any boundaries. It is important to make everyone feel equal in receiving the best treatment possible.”
To end the celebration, the Pride Committee and GSA will be hosting a panel on trans inclusivity, which will be held on April 7 from 6-7:30 pm. During this panel, speakers will discuss their experiences being trans and inclusivity at Adelphi.
The following events are tentative as of press time:
GSA & Adelphi Pride plan to collaborate on a Transgender Film Series to show a variety of films created by trans people or focusing on trans experience. Concluding the films there will be a space to talk about what the viewers watched. The conversation will be facilitated by this writer and Mena Sposito.
Dr. Chana Etengoff will be presenting her research on transgender individuals.
Imara Jones will be coming back to Adelphi and speaking on the trans experience.
There will be a Transition workshop explaining the transition process from a medical and mental health perspective. This workshop will explore what kinds of questions to ask when consulting with a doctor, hormone treatment options, surgical options, etc.
For more details on all of the programs that will be held be sure to check on MyAULife and follow @adelphipride and @adelphigsa.