>>>CORRECTION: The Trans Awareness Week is hosted by several different organizations. The AB1266 (The School Success and Opportunity Act) allows for inclusivity in sex segregated facilities and services for transgender youth in public K-12 school. The Privacy For all Students Coalition (PFSA) is a group that wants to repeal AB1266.
The Pride Center and the CSUN LGBTQA will host Trans Awareness Week from Nov. 18-21. This week will feature free events in hopes of bringing awareness of the transgender community to CSUN.
Trans Awareness Week will begin with Trans 101 on Nov. 18 at 1pm and 4pm in the Balboa Room of the USU. The lecture will enlighten students about the transgender community by exploring definitions and terms used within the community and the do’s and don’t s involving the culture according to the event website.
The Privacy For all Students Coalition (PFSA) has recently attained enough signatures to put AB 1266 on the ballot in Nov. 2014. The proposed bill gives transgender students rights when it comes to freedom of gender identity expression in the hopes of overturning the assembly bill which goes into effect Jan. 1.
With this new episode developing within the transgender community, the Pride Center and the LGBTQA community are emphasizing the importance of Trans Awareness Week since as many votes as possible will be needed next year to keep AB 1266 in effect.
“The plan for Trans Awareness Week is to not just target the LGBTQ community but to target our allies and the straight community who don’t have much knowledge on the LGBTQ community.” said Timothy Nang, a junior who is majoring in humanities and currently works as the public relations coordinator for CSUN’s LGBTQA. “If we target only the LGBTQ community we would be preaching to the choir.”
Other events, which will also take place on Monday include Rethinking Trans, a seminar by Dr. Rachel Levin who will be presenting her multi-year research on transgender identity, and Trans 2.0, a discussion on what the various identities and communities under the transgender umbrella talk about.
“Even if people don’t necessarily want the information, it will be good to have because they may have someone in their family or a friend that’s trans who they could help through knowledge and understanding.” said Nang.
The Starlight Ceremony will be held on Thursday Nov. 21 at 5 p.m. which will include an award ceremony at 7:30 p.m. and The “T” is not Silent talent show at 8 p.m.
“We’re looking forward to having the trans community be visible again.” said Nang.” What do you have to lose besides being more aware and having more knowledge with which you can teach others, accept it, or not accept but at least you have more knowledge about it.”
For further information about Trans Awareness Week contact the Pride Center at (818) 677-4335 or visit www.csuntaw.com.
