In honor of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, the Diverse Sexuality and Gender Alliance (DSAGA) held a screening of The T Word in Wolman Theater on Nov. 20.
Afterwards, DSAGA hosted a question-and-answer session with Shane Henise and Jess Liberatore, two Towson University students who were featured in the film.
The T Word, which was produced by transgender actress and Orange Is The New Black star Laverne Cox, features seven transgender men and women aged 12 to 24 who are learning to succeed in the face of the obstacles that their gender identity presents. Each discussed the challenges, such as the need to find support systems, that this journey entailed.
Ari, an 18-year-old man from Manhattan, N.Y., spoke about how he failed to connect with the female gender that he was assigned at birth.
“There’s something about me that just never connected with a female. I was confused all the time,” Ari said.
Zoey, a 12-year-old girl from California, shared similar feelings about wanting to express the gender she felt inside, despite its dissonance with her original gender identity. She talked about the reactions that she has received from others when she reveals her transgender identity.
“Why do I have to live as a boy when I know inside that I’m a girl?” Zoey said. ”I had a lot of people say, ‘You’re gonna go to hell...’ I said, ‘Yeah, okay, see you there too.’”
The T Word also documents the pain that many transgender individuals go through as they transition into their new gender, even if they do not undergo any medical procedures. The film follows its stars as they look for acceptance from their loved ones.
Kye, a 24-year-old man from Brooklyn, N.Y., struggled to convince his mother to accept him as a son instead of a daughter.
“I see you as the child I have given birth to, which is a female. An orange is an orange, you can’t make it an apple,” Kye’s mother said.
“But that’s just a body!” Kye responded.
The film also emphasized how tricky dating can be for transgender people. Henise, a 22-year-old man from Baltimore, discussed how difficult it has been to find a girlfriend after he revealed that he is transgender.
“My mother said, ‘Straight women are gonna want to date a man, lesbian women are gonna want to date girls, so who is gonna want to date you?’” Henise said.
According to the film, transgender women of color are much more likely to being victims of acts of violence, including rape and murder. Cox and several other transgender women shared their stories and honored those who had been murdered in recent years because of their gender identity.
“It’s infuriating that these murderers feel like we deserve to be treated with violence just because of who we are,” Cox said.
In addition to advocating against violence and discrimination towards transgender individuals, the subjects of The T Word shared positive encouragement for other transgender and cisgender people. Each individual featured in the film encouraged education, acceptance and understanding among its viewers.
“The most important message I have for people not in the trans community is that we are normal people just like you,” Avery, a 20-year-old woman from Queens, said.
In the post-screening discussion, Henise and Liberatore discussed their involvement with the film. Henise was picked to be featured in the documentary after meeting Cox when she spoke at Towson.
“It was amazing [and] life changing,” Henise said of the experience.
One audience member asked Henise how easy it is for transgender students to feel comfortable and safe at Towson. Henise responded with a positive view of the administration and its policies.
“I started a petition [for changing name and gender]. An SGA senator saw my petition and was moved by it, and SGA voted [in favor of it]. We have gender neutral bathrooms. I’m a LGBT minor [and] I’ve been very accepted,” he said.
At school, Henise advocates for spreading awareness of transgender issues and educating people. Hopkins, like Towson, has gender neutral housing and bathrooms to accommodate transgender students.
Liberatore, Henise’s girlfriend, spoke about how she hopes to support transgender people throughout their journeys; she wants to be able to create a safe environment for anyone looking to come out.
“My biggest concern [when] meeting new trans people is to create a safe space, an accepting energy,” Liberatore said.
Liberatore also discussed how people who are not in the transgender community have received the news that she is dating a transgender person.
“More often than not, people have met me with a lot of support and love, which is great. Everyone has always been very supportive,” she said.
Henise also spoke of his decision to come out as transgender through The T Word. He said he does not regret this choice.
“It was an interesting decision to come out in such a public way. Deciding to come out... was a big decision. I was very nervous,” Henise said. “But right as soon as I saw the camera, this wave of calm came over me. I felt like it was right.”
Tanner Liechty, the director of administration for DSAGA, explained why the alliance decided to host a screening of The T Word.
“We’ve wanted to do something for Trans Day of Remembrance today. We already had connections with Shane and figured they could do a panel after, and it’d be a really good, well-rounded event,” Liechty said.
Both Henise and Liberatore offered kind words for people who might be struggling with their gender identity or looking to come out to their loved ones.
“You deserve to feel happy and comfortable in your own skin. Don’t be afraid to be yourself because it’s the most liberating experience. When you live your own truth, other people can recognize that and be inspired by that,” Henise said.
“I think as we progress, gender fluidity is found to be more prevalent,” Liberatore said. “If we break down the assumptions of someone’s gender by introducing our own identity, we can facilitate discussion. Opening up that conversation is the best place to start. Give yourself the ability to explore, because that’s so vital.”
