TORIN O’BRIEN
Special to The Leader
Support. Safety. Trust.
These three words were thought of few and far between by the trans-student community not too long ago. For years, nay, centuries, many have lived in fear of ridicule and bullying of both a physical and mental nature.
Fredonia, along with schools across the nation, is trying to change that mindset of fear.
March 31 marked the Transgender Day of Visibility. On this day, transgender individuals are strongly encouraged to hold their heads up high and be proud of who they are.
That day also marked the last day of the transgender clothing drive, taking place for the second consecutive semester. The drive’s continued success has turned it into a tradition here on campus, and the Fredonia Pride Alliance wouldn’t have it any other way.
Dr. John Arnold, an associate professor in the History Department and co-advisor for Pride Alliance, identified a number of successes for trans students on campus in the recent past.
“We’ve made great progress with multiple initiatives over the past couple years. Along with the clothing drive, we’ve now made it possible for many of these students to use preferred names on their student IDs instead of their given names,” said Arnold.
Along with the clothing drive and student IDs, many students have probably noticed the changes to many of the bathrooms around campus, which now read “All-Gender.”
Arnold laughs at any notion that the restroom change might have been nothing more than a publicity stunt by the university.
“I certainly don’t think that’s the case at all. Jennifer Hildebrand, along with other professors and students, has done a great job in getting some of these initiatives taken care of,” Arnold said. “These initiatives certainly do have a purpose, and that’s to ensure students in the transgender community that they can trust in Fredonia, and they’re safe here. For some of them, the school is the only place they can truly express who they are.”
Deanna Buley, senior music industry and women’s and gender studies double major and vice president of Pride Alliance, testified to the importance an event like a clothing drive carries.
“One of the biggest concepts of this event is its giving nature. Most importantly, this allows for transgender students and people with different gender expressions to feel safe. Second, it shows how the campus is supporting the transgender community. They might not be out at home. They may not be able to afford clothes, or they might not feel comfortable buying them. We hope to be the outlet they can turn to,” Buley said.
Buley, who has been a member of Pride for three years, mentioned her surprise at the support for the inaugural event last semester.
“It actually ended up being so successful that we have a stockpile of clothes,” Buley said. “We plan on donating the majority of the surplus to LGBT homeless shelters and youth centers in the surrounding areas so we can start fresh. We want to make this an event that’s held every semester.”
With two successful drives already in the books, Pride Alliance shouldn’t have a problem making that a reality.