Students and members of the Kent community held hands and tea lights as the names of 60 individuals who lost their lives to anti-transgender violence this year were read aloud.
The LGBTQ+ Center, PRIDEKent and Trans*Fusion co-hosted a Trans Day of Remembrance Monday at The Rock. The event followed the recent defacing of a transgender pride flag on the campus monument.
Florence Hite, a freshman art history major and event organizer, said the defacement of The Rock motivated the organizations to collaborate together and organize the remembrance as a response.
“With a lot of uncertainty and a lot of anti-trans legislation, sometimes you kind of have to remind yourself of the things that are still happening to recognize why you’re still fighting that fight,” said Rachel Kleinhenz, a junior sociology major and event organizer.
Students like Will Turner, a freshman history major, choose to attend to be surrounded by a community after the recent election.
“It helps make me feel stronger, and when people work together, they can make change more easily,” he said.
The event started with attendees painting The Rock with the trans pride flag, and then tea lights were handed out as the 60 names were read aloud.
Following the reading of names, attendees were invited to share testimonies, which included the reading of poems, sharing personal experiences and offering support.
(Adriana Gasiewski)
Xander Dotson, a freshman visual communication design major, offered support to transgender students in a time of need for many.
“I don’t want your name to be on this list, so reach out and ask for help,” Dotson said. “The most important thing is to survive.”
Majorie Zeager, a Kent resident, offered her home as a refuge in a conservative state that may not be accepting or hospitable of transgender youth. Last week, Ohio legislators passed a bill that would require students at K-12 schools and colleges to use the bathroom or locker room that aligns with their sex assigned at birth.
Zeager encouraged students that they can survive these next four years following the recent election.
“You can fight it, you can fight everything and you can be strong,” Zeager said. “My wife is with me tonight. We were not married, she was not out, she had not changed her name. We did all of that in this state between 2016 and 2020 in a red state. We did that.”
As the remembrance concluded, Kleinhenz encouraged students in need of support to reach out to any of the event organizers, including her and Hite, and to utilize university resources, like PRIDEKent and Trans*Fusion meetings.
“Even though there is still brutality against trans people, just looking at all of the people that we have here, even just to support this event,” she said. “There is still just so much support.”
Adriana Gasiewski is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
