The 3rd Annual Trans* Youth Forum: An enriching, educational, and hopeful experience
The 3rd annual Trans* Youth Forum held at Rutger’s University’s Livingston Student Center made a huge impact this past weekend, May 20, sponsored by GLSEN Central New Jersey and HiTOPS.
With a similar layout to that of the GSA* Forum held every fall, the Trans* Youth Forum brings forth the fight for transgender peoples and different gender identities and expressions. Workshops built to not only open hearts and minds are here to educate, empower, expand, and show love to Trans* youth, parents, allies, adults, educators, administrators, students, etc. The power of this forum is to engage and show that these students are not alone and have rights.
As keynote Christine Hamlett said, “Be resilient—never give up.”
Hamlett, a graduate of William Paterson University, receiving her B.A. in history, to then receiving her M.A. in Student Personnel Services from Montclair University and State Certification as a Supervisor of Education Administration from Kean University is a force to be reckoned with. Hamlett, a proud transgender woman of color, has been teaching for 30 years, all the while supporting her community in strength and prosperity.
The passion filled activist said that her message to the youth here today from her workshop titled, “Engaging Gender Justice for All” to her keynote speech, is, “That you can make a difference when you live your life.”
The forum tackled many issues that affect the trans* community, in particular, politics. One of the session one workshops, titled, “Building Communities Through Action in Politics” was run by one up and coming politician who shall not be named in this article, and Richard Green III, both from the Middlesex County Democrats organization LGBTQ caucus and LGBTQ State Caucus.
The workshop delved into some political knowledge that some may not be aware of. For example, we discussed the Primary election and how the voting for the Primary works. For one, always make sure you are registered to vote 30 days before the primary election.
“If you are registered to vote, you can always vote,” said one of the presenters.
However, one of the audience members discussed how she went to vote in the Primary election but was turned away as she is registered as unaffiliated. However, as long as you register in the chosen party you are voting in when you go to vote, you should be able to vote and then change your affiliation back once you have.
“I went to vote with my mom who is registered as a democrat. I had to declare a party to vote but no one said that I could do that,” said Eboni Gadsoa, 23, of Burlington.
Gadsoa did not get to vote in the primary election because she was given incorrect information about what one was to do in order to vote in the primary. If this ever happens to you, always know your rights and know that there are always provisional lawyers to clarify the situation. Call 866-OUR-VOTE if you ever need this kind of assistance.
It was really quite a special day continuing forward, for many of the youth that were participating in the day’s activities were not only well educated, but also came off as strong and confident.
During session two, in Christine Hamlett’s workshop we discussed the lives of transgender peoples and how the media does not show the truth of what it means to be transgender. Hamlett has been following Gavin Grimm, a 17-year-old from Gloucester, VA, fighting for trans* rights, in having gender neutral bathrooms. Grimm’s case went to the Supreme Court, but has most recently been denied a hearing earlier this March.
The workshop discussed the unfavorable representation of transgender people in the media and in television shows such as Transparent, for people are not as so welcoming to trans* people as shows such as Transparent come to make transgender people seem to those who are uneducated about transgender people.
Hamlett discussed how 1/4 transgender peoples will be drawn into sex work, for there is injustice at every turn. Despite 40 percent of transgender adults attempting suicide and 92 percent attempting suicide before the age of 25, as shared by The Trevor Project, many transgender people are kicked out of their home and discriminated against in their communities where sex work ends up being the only realm of life that may support them.
In fact, one audience member in Hamlet’s workshop discusses the type of questions she would have to receive at her job as transgender, having been asked questions along the lines of, “So… did it hurt?” This question was related to the teens “implants” that she does not have, and “Did you get a sex change operation?”
Hamlett shows her workshop audience the struggle of being transgender and stories of transgender people and their truth of what the struggle of being transgender means. One example is Lourdes Ashley Hunter:
Trans woman of color, Lourdes Ashley Hunter, the director of Trans Women of Color Collective, tells the Retroreport that the narrative of being trans and trans of color is far more disheartening than our mainstream likes to show. To give an example of what this may mean: It is beautiful to have an out Caitlyn Jenner, but her struggle does not tell the struggle of the transgender community whatsoever, for her privilege is not realistic amongst the communities of our nation and around the world. Also, where Caitlyn Jenner started her journey off about her physical appearance, most trans people are just trying to make it through the day, trying to wrap their chests without harming themselves, trying to go to school or use the bathroom without any form of sexual harassment.
hrc.org (known as The Human Rights Campaign shares: “Sadly, 2016 has already seen at least 22 transgender people fatally shot, stabbed and killed by other violent means. As HRC continues to work toward justice and equality for transgender people, we mourn those we have lost.”
Hunter herself was homeless and assigned to a men’s shelter where she was later raped and then blamed for her rape. The narrative of most transgender people is pain.
We discussed why it is people oppose trans rights in session one and Richard Green III said that emotion and lack of understanding get in the way, and if we had social education, the barriers would be cut down.
When Hamlett and her co-keynote Jiselle Madison Parker, creative collaborator, humanist, entrepreneur (CEO of founder of Genderfabulous, a platform and community that aims to provide resources, support, inclusivity, and safety for women of all genders), and activist who has also dedicated her life to LGBTQIA+ people of color and socioeconomically oppressed peoples, talked about their personal struggles, oppression, and prosperity.
“No one will leave you because I will always be here,” Parker continues, discussing her self love in the face of rejection, “I held myself tighter—you are worthy,” she says to her inner child. “Your crown is already paid for. Every trans person who has ever walked the Earth is with you.”
Pandora Scooter, co-host to Daniel Fernandez of HiTOPs, well known spoken word artist, and activist, sat with the keynotes asking them both questions: ‘What are struggles you’ve faced as transgender people of color?’ She asks.
Hamlett discusses the overwhelming discrimination for being poor, black and trans. She said that you can strive.
“When I’m faced with an intersection, I know to go forward,” said Hamlett.
On stage, they mention that the average life expectancy for a black trans woman, which is 35-years-old, as well as asking the question of what about people, youth, dealing with privilege?
“Accountability,” responds Parker, “I think people have to be accountable—they have to take ownership.”
The day was incredibly inspiring to many of the participants, and workshop presenters of the forum:
“I just really love being a part of a community as strong and proud as this one, and this [The Trans* Youth Forum] is a good example of that,” said 18-year-old Mack Massey from Riverside.
“I feel enlightened to know people were seeing the work we’ve done; for people to open up themselves and share about themselves. I’m excited to learn from people around us,” said 26-year-old Steph Salvador from activist group What’s Your Gender? More Than Just a Letter, an art activist group showing the variance in gender identity, gender expression, androgyny, transgender peoples, amongst the LGBTQIA+ community through photography, videography, writing, and discussion with people all over the community. The group’s goal is to show that sometimes our expressions go beyond a label and a letter.
