UA Brings 'Transgender Awareness Week' to LU
Issue date: 12/2/09 Section: Features
By Ashley Bowles
Rotunda Reporter
During the week of November 16- 20 Unity Alliance (UA), an campus organization that reaches out to the Longwood University lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender (LBGT) community, hosted multiple events in honor of Transgender Awareness Week. The events were put together to raise awareness of transgender and their journey. Members of Unity Alliance and allies changed their Facebook gender for the week to honor those who have been victims of hate and give support to those who are still struggling. When a girl would update "her" status the website would read it as "he" updated his status.
"This was UA's first Transgender Awareness Week, but we are hoping to make it an annual thing in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20th - before this week not much had been said about the Transgender population on campus or trans individuals at all except for our guest speaker last spring Debra Davis who was a male to female transgender," explained UA Public Relations Chair Tracie Morris.
On Friday afternoon, as the sun was beginning its slow descent, the members of Unity Alliance placed tape over their mouths to honor those who have been silenced due to hate crimes. Their simple white T-shirts simply said "The 'T' is NOT silent" on the back while "LBGT" decorated the front. The members approached people as they walked past, handing out little index size pieces of paper and a ribbon of pastel blue and pink. The pieces of paper each contained a photo and background of a person who was a victim of hate crimes because of a choice they made. One story was of Michael Hunt of Indianapolis, Indiana, who was shot to death on December 26, 2008. It is believed that even though he was not a transgender he was murdered because his girlfriend, who was also found dead, was. This is how Unity Alliance's Hour of Silence began. While members gave the slips of paper and ribbon to passerby's two other spoke into a microphone, the names and the stories of people who have been victims of hate crimes.
Rotunda Reporter
During the week of November 16- 20 Unity Alliance (UA), an campus organization that reaches out to the Longwood University lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender (LBGT) community, hosted multiple events in honor of Transgender Awareness Week. The events were put together to raise awareness of transgender and their journey. Members of Unity Alliance and allies changed their Facebook gender for the week to honor those who have been victims of hate and give support to those who are still struggling. When a girl would update "her" status the website would read it as "he" updated his status.
"This was UA's first Transgender Awareness Week, but we are hoping to make it an annual thing in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20th - before this week not much had been said about the Transgender population on campus or trans individuals at all except for our guest speaker last spring Debra Davis who was a male to female transgender," explained UA Public Relations Chair Tracie Morris.
On Friday afternoon, as the sun was beginning its slow descent, the members of Unity Alliance placed tape over their mouths to honor those who have been silenced due to hate crimes. Their simple white T-shirts simply said "The 'T' is NOT silent" on the back while "LBGT" decorated the front. The members approached people as they walked past, handing out little index size pieces of paper and a ribbon of pastel blue and pink. The pieces of paper each contained a photo and background of a person who was a victim of hate crimes because of a choice they made. One story was of Michael Hunt of Indianapolis, Indiana, who was shot to death on December 26, 2008. It is believed that even though he was not a transgender he was murdered because his girlfriend, who was also found dead, was. This is how Unity Alliance's Hour of Silence began. While members gave the slips of paper and ribbon to passerby's two other spoke into a microphone, the names and the stories of people who have been victims of hate crimes.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
S. Schmader
posted 12/03/09 @ 1:37 AM EST
Correction: Tracie Morris was the speaker for the panel, not Coy Hughes.
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posted 12/15/09 @ 5:24 AM EST
The Transgender Awareness Week was very important event.
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