The University of Cincinnati’s LGBTQ Center is hosting a series of events in celebration of Trans Week of Resilience, beginning Nov. 18 and ending Nov. 21.
“To my knowledge, this is the first time that LGBTQ Center has formalized a week-long series of programs under the umbrella of Trans Week of Resilience,” said LGBTQ Center, Preston Keith.
In the past, the Center has hosted programs to commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance and Chosen Families Giving, but not in conjunction with one another. Trans Week of Resilience at UC is very similar to Transgender Awareness Week, which is typically participated in across the nation the second week of November each year.
The Center wanted to focus on obstacles and barriers that are often placed before the transgender community, which can often bar them access to resources, services and support. Further, Trans Week of Resilience celebrates the ways in which members of the community continue to overcome and dismantle various barriers throughout their daily lives.
“This focus on resilience allows us to recognize the work that has been done to further inclusion, while also calling to attention the work that needs to continue,” Keith said. “During this week, we also honor the lives that have been lost due to acts of violence directed towards the transgender community. This also acknowledges the disproportionate rates of violence inflicted on transgender women of color.”
Five separate events will be held during Trans Week of Resilience.
Breaking the Silence: A conversation on the Reality of Being Transgender in America
5 p.m. – 7 p.m., AACRC, 60 W Charlton
This event will focus on raising awareness about the experiences of members of the transgender community. The discussion will focus on different depictions of the transgender community on television, and then contrasting that with the stories and narratives often marginalized in society. Much of the conversation will focus on the representation within the FX television show, “Pose.”
“This program will allow for our campus community to learn more about the many realities of transgender students,” Keith said.
Chosen Families Giving
5 p.m. – 7 p.m., AACRC, 60 W Charlton
For many in the LGBTQ community, the holiday season can be difficult to navigate. Annually, the LGBTQ Center sponsors a “pre-holiday celebration” that is called the “Chosen Families Giving.” The Center hopes the programs builds community over conversation and food, as they celebrate the end of the semester and the beginning of winter break.
Trans Day of Remembrance: Video and Discussion
Noon – 1 p.m., LGBTQ Center, 565 Student Steger Life
Every year, the trans lives that were lost doe to acts of violence are remembered nationally Nov. 20. Known as Transgender Day of Remembrance, their lives are honored, their names are spoken and their stories are told in the hopes of ending the violence that disproportionately impacts the transgender community.
Cincinnati Community Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil
7 p.m. – 9 p.m., Woodward Theatre, 1404 Main Street
This program is an opportunity for UC students to broaden their connections to the greater Cincinnati community.
Community Archive Art Project
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Drop-in event), LGBTQ Center, 565 Student Steger Life
The Center will be hosting a drop-in art project which allows students to illustrate what their resilience means to them, and how they embody resilience in their everyday life.
“I hope that students will gain a better understanding of how they can be supports and allies for the transgender community as a whole,” Keith said. “I also hope that these programs will create a sense of empowerment, community, and a network of allies. Overall, I hope students walk away understanding the systemic nature of oppression that targets the transgender community, and have the tools to disrupt transphobia when they see it happening.”
Transgender Support 