The International Trans Day of Visibility was celebrated March 31, 2022. It was intended to be a day of celebration, but in light of recent events, it seems as if we are far from celebrating. Elise Malary, board member for the Chicago Therapy collective, an activist group for LGBTQ youth was found dead. Tatiana Labelle was also killed in our neighboring city. The most surprising thing? It’s a few days apart from the only day we have dedicated to transgender people.

This adds to the growing list of trans people being killed in the U.S. According to the Human Rights campaign. 375 transgender people were reported killed in 2021; this doesn’t even include the number of how many are missing currently. Many hate crimes and murders go unreported or are found being misreported in the media–meaning the actual number of deaths could be far higher. 

 We have our own community of transgender and gender non conforming people at Neuqua, and I’ve had the pleasure to talk to a few individuals about their own experiences and what they have learned along the way. “There’s always going to be people who won’t accept you, it’s difficult because you have to fight for respect,” says Jay Dillon. “I’ve definitely had to let go and come to terms with the fact that not everyone sees me the way I see myself, and that’s ok. I don’t have to become hyper masculine to appear transgender, I know who I am.” 

“I use a separate bathroom to change during PE that has a lock; they had to change the lock due to other students messing around in that bathroom,” says Anthony Burcham. “It can be scary; you never know the intentions of others. I think Neuqua does a fair job of inclusivity, but you can’t say that for everywhere else. I’m from Oklahoma, and when I visited my partner, I was absolutely petrified to hold her hand in public. I know somebody from my hometown who was almost beaten to death just for presenting the way they wanted.” 

For students looking for more resources, Friday, April 22, 2022 is the National Day of Silence. It is a nationally recognized day in which individuals bring awareness to the silencing that occurs with students of the LGBTQ community. Students from our GSA (now Gender and Sexuality Alliance, formally Gay Straight Alliance) will be hosting an informational booth in the Commons at Main and the BFC during option periods. If you’re looking for more information on what Day of Silence entails check out https://www.glsen.org/day-of-silence.

Remember, there’s no one “perfect” way to be an ally. But if you find yourself with extra time, you can start by stopping by the table. If you’re looking for more information to support your LGBTQ friends, Sara Marston, a junior at our school, created a resource guide on how to be a better ally: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GFbOrQn5KJPksFsk-1mRKbzWIMpphZYQ/view