For many students, MSMS is where they can freely experience themselves and parts of their identity that aren’t always welcome. Nov. 13 to 19 celebrates Transgender Awareness Week leading up to Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20. MSMS’s Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) run by President [Name redacted] provides a safe space for students to talk about their gender and sexual identities. 

“It’s important because it’s a place [GSA] where people feel safe and like they have a family.  It also gives people a place to be themselves without fear or judgement. In a sense it’s a place where you can finally let out the breath you’ve been holding and just exist with other people,” they said. 

When spreading love and support around campus and the world, they reiterated the importance to remember the struggles people go through as Trans Awareness Week calls attention to what has happened in the past, what is happening today and what people can do for the future. 

“Trans Awareness week is a good way to bring light to the fact that there are still people who are underrepresented and who are facing a lot of hardship. Just look at the statistics about violence towards trans people,” they said. “And, as far as being aware, we live in the age of information: do your research, listen to trans voices, donate to charities and call out transphobia when you see it. Trans Awareness week is almost like a call to action to not let people be mistreated, and I think as humans that’s the least we can do for each other.”

2020 has been marked by an increase in social awareness, especially for historically mistreated groups; not all students knew about Trans Awareness Week until this year. 

“I really didn’t know much about [Trans Awareness Week],” junior Hayden Anderson said. “I am glad that clubs such as GSA exist so that we can support people of the LGBTQ community and that we, as a community, can be aware of events such as Trans Awareness Week”.

Transgender Awareness Week focuses on providing support to transgender individuals who, especially in places like the South, are often misunderstood and badly treated. 

“I honestly hate the fact that trans people get so much hate because trans men are men and trans women are women and that shouldn’t be so hard to understand,” an anonymous student said. “As an LGBT member, some things really need to be discussed so people can have more info or just learn a little.”

The Constitution of the United States outlines that every American citizen has natural rights, but recently, President Donald Trump passed a ban to prevent transgender individuals from serving in the military while other groups continue to discriminate today. 

“While society as a whole is becoming more understanding than, say, 20 years ago, or even sooner than that, there are still a lot that don’t or even refuse to understand that trans people exist and [that we] should be allowed to express our identities,” Elijah R., a trans masculine student, said. “Being denied this creates a bunch of issues, and that’s shown in statistics.”

Trans Awareness Week, and consistent support for transgender individuals, remain important due to the difficulties they continually face. 

“Trans Awareness Week is still extremely important because of the struggles people under the trans umbrella face on a day to day basis,” Elijah R. said.

Editor’s note: An MSMS graduate requested their name be redacted from this story following their graduation.