The University of Michigan’s Spectrum Center is organizing a full slate of events next month in recognition of “Transgender Awareness Month.”
November is “Transgender Awareness Month,” which the Spectrum Center describes as “a celebration and recognition of transgender communities and people.”
The Spectrum Center is the university’s public institution for LGBTQ issues. It describes itself as “a campus resource center dedicated to serving and supporting members of the University of Michigan’s LGBTQIA2S+ communities.” It does this through “education, advocacy, and community building.”
One essential thing transgender advocates emphasize is name changes after a shift in gender identity or appearance. For this purpose, on Tuesday, November 8, the Spectrum Center will offer a “Name Change Information Session.”
“Join us for a free presentation dedicated to addressing the challenges of name changes for transgender and gender nonconforming people,” the description says.
Also, on Monday, November 18, students can participate in a “Trans and Nonbinary Passport Clinic,” geared towards teaching transgender-identifying students how to change their legal names on passports to conform to their gender identity.
Earlier in the month, students can attend a lecture about “Black Queer Storytelling.”
“The experiences of Black queer life are reflected in the ways we tell our stories,” the page says. “We will explore a kiki methodology grounded in ballroom culture and Black queer storytelling.”
The description proceeds to define “kiki methodology” as comprised of “Black queer meaning-making, Black queer storytelling, and Black queer artistic expression.”
Further, “[k]iki methodology connects envisioning and centering words, feelings, and voices of the Black queer community in the form of storytelling in higher education.”
Other Spectrum Center events will be “Pronouns 101” on Saturday, November 12, and “QTBIPOC Kickbacks” on Tuesday, November 15.
“QTBIPOC” is an intersectional term combating “QT,” which stands for “Queer Trans” and “BIPOC,” an acronym for “Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.”
The university’s celebrations will conclude with a “Trans Day of Remembrance Banquet” on Wednesday, November 20.
Many other colleges and universities recognized “Trans Day of Remembrance,” including Ohio State University, the State University of New York at Brockport, and the University of Pennslyvania.
Campus Reform contacted the University of Michigan and the Spectrum Center for comment. This story will be updated accordingly.
This article was written by Brendan McDonald and originally published at campusreform.org
