First Annual Trans* Conference, TRANS*forming Communities

Rachel Ward, Intern Coordinator Assistant

AS Gender and Sexuality Equity Center

(530) 898-5724

asgsec.info@csuchico.edu              

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

3-10-2014

First Annual Trans* Conference, TRANS*forming Communities

 

(CHICO, Calif.) – Associated Students Gender and Sexuality Center will be hosting our First Annual Trans* Conference, TRANS*forming Communities on Saturday, March 29^th, from 12 to 5 p.m. This event is taking place in California State University, Chico’s Bell Memorial Union Auditorium. This free conference will be featuring keynote speaker Eli Erlick, executive director and founder of Trans Student Equality Resources. Lunch will be provided.

Register for FREE at www.transformingcommunities.eventbrite.com.

TRANS*forming Communities will consist of speakers, workshops, and panels dedicated to celebrating and honoring the diverse identities and experiences of trans* people. It will be a safe place for trans* people and allies to come together, share resources and knowledge, and create a community where people can flourish and live authentically. Anyone with a desire to learn and better our communities is welcome.

TRANS*forming Communities will be followed by Trans* Week, hosted by Stonewall Alliance of Chico. Check out the event on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/events/1381104442136354/ or email trans@stonewallchico.org.

 

Trans* people need more visibility, and with more visibility comes more understanding. Many trans* people live in extreme poverty, and are almost four times more likely to have a household income of less than $10,000 per year. Forty one percent of trans* people have attempted suicide, compared to 1.6% of the general population. Eighty percent of trans* students feel unsafe at school because of their gender expression.

Many of the issues facing the general LGBT*Q+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans*, Queer +) population are especially relevant for people of color. Eighty seven of anti-LGBT*Q+ murder victims in 2011 were people of color.

Trans* people are consistently abused, discriminated against, harassed, and assaulted. Too often, the “T” gets excluded from LGBT*Q+ initiatives and campaigns. We have to realize that we can’t have LGBT*Q+ justice without trans* justice.

 This conference aims put Chico State and the community on the forefront of Trans* activism.

The Associated Students Gender and Sexuality Equity Center (GSEC) is a student-run activist organization which strives to empower all students through its two programs: the Women’s Program and the LGBTQ+ Program. The GSEC challenges societal norms that have been used to oppress and marginalize by providing opportunities for leadership, personal development, and referral services. We offer a safe and inclusive space where the campus and community can effectively support the academic mission of the university.

 

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