Trans DoR

Saturday, November 20th is Trans Day of Remembrance, but we will be observing it on Friday (tomorrow) at 12:25pm on the green, near the Blanchard steps. We will have a moment of silence to honor people who have been hurt and/or killed due to transphobic violence.  Trans DoR also aims to raise awareness of the prevalence of discrimination against the trans community and individuals perceived to be trans or gender variant. If you would like to bring poems, prayers, or thoughts to share, please do so.

This weekend (Friday-Sunday) is the Transcending Boundaries conference in Worcester.  Unfortunately, CoGA cannot provide transportation or contribute towards the registration fee ($70 per person for students), but if anyone is interested, you can find more info here: http://www.transcendingboundaries.org/

As usual, we’ll meet on Sunday at 7:30pm in the Marks House.  Hope to see you there!

Gallery and Resource Links Updated

CoGA’s photo gallery has been updated with lots of pictures from Noho Pride, Gender Day, and Drag Ball, in addition to the Trans Day of Remembrance photos. To access the gallery, click on the “Gallery” link to the right of this post under the “Pages” category. If you have any event pics you’d like posted up on the website (and it’s ok with both the owner of and the people featured in the picture) send them to cogamhc[at]gmail.com.

CoGA on tv (somewhat…)! : http://photos.masslive.com/republican/2010/05/northampton-gay-pride-paradezip_9.html

The online resource links (the Blogroll to the right of the posts) have been updated with 30 or so new websites. Soon we’ll get these organized in a much more comprehensive manner that will be easier to navigate.

Noho Pride! (Saturday, 5/1/10)

Northampton’s 29th annual pride parade and rally event is this Saturday, May 1st!
The parade starts at noon at Lampron Park marching down into the rally site behind Thorne’s Market on Armory Street in downtown Noho. The rally ends at 5 pm but the party continues with Pride After Dark at Pearl Street Nightclub! Starting at 8 pm there will be bands and performances followed by an after show dance party.

For more info, check out the Noho pride website: http://www.nohopride.org/

The Coalition for Gender Awareness will be marching in the parade, so look out, Mount Holyoke represent! If you’d like to march with us, shoot us an email at cogamhc[at]gmail.com

March In Noho Pride! Facebook

Gender Day (Friday, 4/23/10)

The Coalition for Gender Awareness (CoGA) and Operation: Disturb the Piece (O:DtP) present: Gender Day!

This Friday, April 23rd, get ready to rock gender bending attire. You’ll have a chance to show off in Hooker Auditorium for our pre-movie screening catwalk show at 8 pm. Directly after that we’ll watch the documentary Paris Is Burning, and at 11 pm we’ll have a free after party in Blanchard: Party with the Queers!
We’ll be distributing swatches in commemoration of Gender Day.

All colleges welcomed! This is a chance to hang out and meet people.

Dress up, be sexy, have fun, play gender!

Day of Silence (Friday, 4/16/10)

We invite the Mount Holyoke community to join us on this day to make a stand and take a day-long vow of silence in recognition of the discrimination, harassment, and silencing experienced by GLBT students, staff, and their allies.

Sometimes you have to be silent to be heard. What will you do to end the silence?

There will be an informal “Breaking the Silence” gathering in front of the Blanchard steps at 6 pm where people can speak, sing, chat with friends, etc to break the silence and reflect on their day.

What is the Day of Silence?
The Day of Silence is a student-led national event that brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Students from middle school to college take some form of a vow of silence in an effort to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior. The event is designed to illustrate the silencing effect of this bullying and harassment on LGBT students and those perceived to be LGBT.

What is GLSEN?
GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Established nationally in 1995, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. For more information on GLSEN’s educational resources, public policy agenda, student organizing programs, research, public education or development initiatives, visit www.glsen.org

Who started the Day of Silence?
In 1996, students at the University of Virginia organized the first Day of Silence in response to a class assignment on non-violent protests. Over 150 students participated in this inaugural DOS. In 1997, organizers took their effort nationally and nearly 100 colleges and universities participated. In 2001, GLSEN became the official organizational sponsor for the event.

Has the Day of Silence been successful?
In 2008, hundreds of thousands of students from more than 8,000 K-12 schools, colleges and universities organized Day of Silence events. These numbers make the Day of Silence one of the largest student-led actions in the United States. The event has drawn significant attention to LGBT issues in schools over the years. For example, GLSEN spokespersons have appeared on national media outlets and there has always been extensive local media coverage from coast to coast, with numerous interviews with students.

Why do we need a Day of Silence?
Two of the top three reasons students said their peers were most often bullied at school were actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender expression, according to From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America, a 2005 report by GLSEN and Harris Interactive.

A 2007 National School Climate Survey found that nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT students report verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school and more than 30% report missing at least a day of school in the past month out of fear for their personal safety. The Day of Silence helps bring us closer to making anti-LGBT bullying, harassment and name-calling unacceptable in America’s schools.

Do I have a right to participate in the Day of Silence?
You DO have a right to participate in Day of Silence and other expressions of your opinion at a public school during non-instructional time: the breaks between classes, before and after the school day, lunchtime, and any other free times during your day. You do NOT have a right to remain silent during class time if a teacher asks you to speak. We recommend that you talk to your teachers ahead of time, tell them what you plan to do, and ask them if it would be okay for you to communicate on that day in writing. (ACLU)

How do the Day of Silence activities affect the school day?
GLSEN advises students interested in participating to discuss their intentions with their administration and teachers long before the event. The day is most successful when schools and students work together to show their commitment to ensuring safe schools for all students. Many schools allow students’ participation throughout the day. Some schools ask students to speak as they normally would during class and remain silent during breaks and at lunch. There is no single way to participate, and students are encouraged to take part in the way that is the most positive and uplifting for their school. Students may also participate in “Breaking the Silence” rallies, events at which students come together at the day’s end to express themselves and share their experiences with members of their local communities.



TABOO: “Transidentity at a Women’s College: Is there a fit?”

Come join us on Tuesday, April 6th from 4:30-6:00 pm, for a COGA facilitated TABOO topic examining the various gender identities at Mount Holyoke College, gender diversity, and the connotations of a single sexed space. The dialogue will take place in the Blanchard lounge 227.

Drag Ball!!!

Get ready folks.

True Colors has handed COGA the Mount Holyoke half of the drag show! Between 11 and 11:30 pm we’ll be strutting up and down that catwalk with some sexy attitude and spunk.

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Royal Drag Ball: Calling All Kings, Queens, and Jesters!

An annual dance party organized and run by True Colors.

March 6th in Chapin Auditorium

Tickets in Advance: Monday March 1 – Friday March 5
Blanchard Campus Center
$5 for MHC Students, $7 for anyone else

Tickets at the Door: In Chapin on March 6
$7 for MHC Students and $10 for anyone else

ID is required to purchase tickets. There is a limited supply.

All proceeds from Drag Ball go to the Jolene Fund.

All Guests are expected to have some form of Identification on them during admittance and ticket purchasing.

*No one under 18 will be admitted without college ID*
*Patrons without college identification must show a valid photo ID and be 18 and older to be admitted*

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=293147499349&ref=ts

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Statement

As a budding organization on campus, we owe it to the student body to disclose the processes, intentions, and mission of the Coalition for Gender Awareness (COGA).

In early September, several Mount Holyoke students were informed by their peers at Hampshire College that a close friend had been victimized. Over a period of ten days, those Mount Holyoke students investigated the incident and obtained a firsthand written account from the friend. They then distributed the information they had gathered around Mount Holyoke’s campus.   Those responsible for the letter felt as though their safety had been threatened, and that it was their responsibility to inform the community of their findings.  They called all members of the Mount Holyoke community together to foster a response through dialogue.

The community responded.  Members assembled and agreed to continue working on issues highlighted by the incident as a group that became COGA.  COGA was not formed around any particular event, but rather in order to give a voice to a previously underrepresented facet of the MHC community concerned with gender, trans issues, and equality. In the perceived need for a response it also became clear that our student body had the opportunity to create a new group to discuss gender, and facilitate education and awareness, as well as communicate with the administration in order to improve support of gender expression and safety.

The community recognized the gravity of the accusation with an awareness of the pervasive societal permissiveness that fosters complacency, intolerance, and injustice.  It is imperative that all people in positions of authority and responsibility (and other individuals), act as the checks and balances within society, remaining vigilant, inquiring and demanding of equality, justice, and respect.  No person or organization is guaranteed or deserving of exemption from these social checks, which are occasionally in the form of serious and alarming accusations.

Since that beginning, a bias incident report was filed from the Mount Holyoke campus, and Hampshire College administration conducted an official investigation.  The incident report that came out of the official investigation was distributed by Dean Gill on November 30^th, via email, to the student body.  We, as COGA, are very pleased that our concerns were taken seriously, and that this investigation and report were executed promptly.  The obvious discrepancies between the two accounts of the incident highlight the reality of multiple truths concerning the same event; be critical of all narratives regardless of the issuing authority.

COGA desires to reach the common goal of a safe community.  We appreciate the hard work and attention Public Safety provides.  The actions of COGA and the students involved were in no way intended to break down vital community relationships or compromise Mount Holyoke ideals.

The Coalition for Gender Awareness supports and affirms the various gender identities existing within the Mount Holyoke Community through the cultivation of a safe space, educational outreach, advocacy, and visibility. We seek to engage our community members in respectful dialogue in order to reach mutual understanding and foster a campus free of discrimination. COGA hopes to serve as an inspiration, not just for the Pioneer Valley, but for what is possible in the world.  We aim to work as a liaison between marginalized groups (specifically individuals of variant gender) and the power structures here on campus.  One of our major goals is to give those silenced individuals a chance to have their voices heard.

We have continued fostering dialogues at our weekly meetings (held on Tuesdays at 9pm in Reese), and through various events that we have been a part of (the Unity Vigil held in early October, Trans Day of Remembrance gathering on November 20^th, and bringing Reverend Elise Elrod of Chicopee to speak at the Elliot House on the 5^th of December).  There are many things we are planning for next semester including the development of an expert panel to discuss topics related to Transexuality and Transgenderism, a show in the Blanchard Art Gallery, and a Trans Film Festival.  Our aspirations also include working with Public Safety and the administration to create lasting change on our campus.

Lastly, we wish to extend a formal thank you to everyone who has helped and cooperated with us over the last few months.  It has been a difficult time for us all and your support has been greatly appreciated.  If you would like more information or are interested in any of the things discussed here, please join us on Tuesdays or get in contact with us at cogamhc@gmail.com.

Most sincerely,

The Coalition for Gender Awareness

Trans Day of Remembrance–11/20/09

This year marked the 11th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder in 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Since then, the event has grown to encompass memorials in dozens of cities across the world.

This year alone at least 100 transgender people have been murdered in the world and at least a dozen in the United States.

COGA got together and made shirts to commemorate this event. White t-shirts were used as a sign of solidarity. We distributed them outside Blanchard on Skinner Green and shared a moment of silence for all the transfolk and gender-nonconforming people whose journeys were tragically ended by hatred and discrimination.

“Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” -George Santayanna

Thank you all for a successful event, where much love, unity, and friendship was shared!

*ps: thanks for the poster brittany! and the pics stephanie! and all the wonderful work coga members and allies have done!

Links!

I’ve added some transgender, transexual, gender identity, mtf, ftm, links that range from Q&As to resource banks, articles, and varied takes and perspectives on gender. They’re to the right under the “Blogroll.” This is a start to a COGA  information database that will serve as a resource for those first-timers seeking to inform themselves, trans-allies, and transpeople in our MHC community.

If you have any comments or link recommendations, don’t hesitate to email cogamhc[at]gmail.com

Eventually, this resource collection will be condensed into more community specific links, include on-campus resource links and contact info, and will be located under our “Resources” page.