Students hold Transgender Day of Visibility demonstration
Demonstrators listen to a speech during the Transgender Day of Visibility Demonstration. The event brought out students and faculty in support of transgender issues. Bela Jotwani / Thresher
A Transgender Day of Visibility demonstration was held outside the Rice Memorial Center March 31, coinciding with the International Transgender Day of Visibility.
About 50 students and faculty attended the demonstration, speaking about trans issues and chanting slogans such as “we’re queer, we’ll never disappear,” and “trans rights are human rights.”
“Amidst unprecedented attacks on transgender rights, it is our collective responsibility to defend our community,” read the caption of an Instagram post made by coordinating student organizations, including Rice Democratic Socialists, Rice Students for Justice in Palestine and Rice Grad Campaign.
Ivy Li, the event organizer, said the demonstration aimed to bring awareness to trans issues at both the federal and state levels.
“A lot of times, trans issues get thrown under the rug in favor of other issues,” said Li, a graduate student. “I really want to have a sort of community at Rice where people can band together and understand that all these issues are important and affecting all of us.”
In a speech made on the day of the demonstration, Li said that legislation such as Executive Order 14168, and Texas House Bills 3817 and 3399 were especially worrying for transgender individuals.
While Executive Order 14168 is limited by federal laws and statutes, it aims to erase protections from transgender individuals and remove federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Proposed Texas House Bill 3817 aims to make “gender identity fraud” a criminal offense with a maximum prison sentence of two years and a $10,000 fine. A person commits an offense if they “knowingly [make] a false or misleading verbal or written statement to a governmental entity or the person’s employer by identifying the person’s biological sex as the opposite of the biological sex assigned to the person at birth.”
Proposed Texas House Bill 3399 aims to expand Texas’ ban on gender transition resources for minors to adults, prohibiting medical procedures “for the purpose of transitioning a person’s biological sex.”
Vivian Lu, an assistant professor in anthropology, called upon Rice professors to learn about and advocate for trans issues.
“Professors have job security and access to resources completely unthinkable for most of the general population,” Lu said. “Look up what’s happening at the Texas State Legislature or community events here in Houston. Read up about how trans people across the United States are having their documents confiscated while traveling, even domestically, or when renewing official documents like passports. Demand your departments and the administration to protect trans rights.”
Associate professor of physics and astronomy Christopher Tunnell spoke on the importance of academic freedom and free speech.
“From history, we know that if scientists speak up, then things must be really bad,” Tunnell said. “Scientists just want to be left alone, with our computers, in our labs. We would much rather be doing that today. But we are disgusted with what we now see. We are at a ‘use it or lose it’ moment for free speech at universities.”
Graduate student Jorge Zazueta said that solidarity was essential in the current cultural climate.
“To stand up, we need to recognize that some of the most vulnerable people in our communities are the ones that will refuse to sit down, and in doing so, they’re becoming more vulnerable compared to other, more protected members of our community,” Zazueta said.
Shelly Harvey, a mathematics professor, spoke on the importance of mindful language and supporting younger generations.
“It’s not enough to not be transphobic,” Harvey said. “We must actively work to create a more inclusive world for trans individuals. We must strive to be trans affirmable. I personally am terrible, terrible, terrible at pronouns, but I keep trying, and if I get it wrong, I’m going to correct myself. I’m going to acknowledge my mistake and try harder next time.”
Li ended his speech by emphasizing the importance of trans rights.
“Queer people have always been here,” Li said. “Trans people have always been here. Transgender rights are civil rights.”
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