UIS Gender and Sexuality Student Services (GSSS) celebrated Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV), which was Mach 31, with a full week of activities and informative seminars honoring transgender individuals. This weeklong celebration concluded with “Transcending the Media” on April 3, an event centered around transgender identities in media and media created by transgender individuals. The event included crafts, group discussions and free snacks.

“Trans visibility week brings awareness to trans identities and celebrates the differences among the community. In this final event we are going through a timeline of trans identities in the media as well as media made by trans individuals throughout history,” said Elton Boose, co-host of Transcending the Media and graduate student in the Human Development Counseling program.

TDOV was first created in 2010 as a way to advocate for and raise awareness of transgender individuals. It provides a chance to celebrate the lives and contributions of transgender people, while also giving an opportunity to reflect on the discrimination that the community faces.

The Transcending the Media event introduced students to this history of transgender people in media and discussed the importance of representation and platforming diverse voices and perspectives. It included a PowerPoint presentation about the depictions and contributions of transgender individuals in media, as well as arts and crafts activities to encourage students to express themselves.

The GSSS organized events for the entire week of March 31, including a gathering to discuss trans identities in sports and a library workshop to introduce resources for finding books and primary sources that represent LGBTQ+ perspectives. Students interested in events like this can find more information on the GSSS’s UIS Connections page.