USU celebrates first Trans Awareness Week
Utah State University had several events to celebrate its first Trans Awareness Week, including a drag show, Pronouns and Pastries, crafts and an Ask a Trans Person Panel.
Nathon Taylor, the drag show host and planner, said the show had about 800 attendees and the goal was to make this show “bigger and better” than last year’s.
“This year, we had over 20 amazing performances from students and community members from USU and the Cache Valley area,” he said. “We also had an amazing keynote presentation from Joel Arvizo-Zavala, a two-spirit identifying individual who works at the University of Utah. They provided some amazing insight on trans issues in Utah.”
Taylor said the trans awareness week events were important because they provide “a safe space for all individuals, no matter their gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.
“In Northern Utah, it can be difficult to come to terms with our identity and accept ourselves for who we are,” he said. “Events like this provide a safe space for all individuals and to promote an inclusive university climate.”
Taylor said Trans Awareness Week is a great time for alliance and acceptance.
“Trans Awareness Week is another example of how we can contribute to a world that is accepting to all,” Taylor said. “As a cisgender gay man, I can’t speak to how this event impacts me personally, but I can speak on the importance of being a great ally. Allyship shows solidarity and affirmation towards your peers, and everyone should have that feeling.”
Caity Moellendorf and Jared Gheen, interns from the USU Inclusion Center, shared what Trans Awareness Week means to them.
“It’s all about awareness,” Moellendorf said. “We are an awesome campus, but we need to work on our inclusion. The fact that we’re making all these events and we’re inviting not just queer students but all students to come participate is really important because then it brings out the awareness that there are trans and queer students here. We’re here. We’re sitting in classes with you and it’s really important that you know how to be an ally and how to make campus a better place.”
Gheen said Trans Awareness week would help cis students become more involved, inclusive and educated.
“Having Trans Awareness Week is especially important for cis people to recognize there are people on the trans spectrum all over,” Gheen said. “In their classes most people have encountered them. Having a week where we can really celebrate that and raise awareness and education is crucial for students here at USU.”
Both Moellendorf and Gheen said their favorite event was the drag show, but that the new events like Pastries and Pronouns and Ask a Trans Person Panel were important to better educate USU students and promote inclusion.