M-A’s Genders and Sexualities Alliance club (GSA) hosted its Transgender Day of Visibility event during lunch on Tuesday. Celebrated annually on March 31, this day has been recognized since 2009 as a time to honor the contributions of transgender and nonbinary individuals and learn more about their history.
The club gathered in G-8 to make cards with supportive and positive affirmations such as “You are valid” and “You are loved.” The cards were made for Point of Pride, a non-profit dedicated to helping transgender people access healthcare and gender affirming services.
The organization mails gender-affirming clothing like chest binders to those in need, specifically people who may have trouble accessing these items due to safety concerns or financial constraints. The cards made by the GSA will go inside these packages sent out by Point of Pride to remind people of their worth and the support of the greater LGBTQ+ and allied community.
“We’re representing trans people, and we’re writing them cards to let them know that they are loved, they are welcome in this community, and that even if some people may not agree with what their identity is—we still love them, we appreciate them, we want them to feel safe and welcome,” sophomore Ben Eames said.
The room was filled with different pride flags, including transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, and genderfluid flags. They also displayed transgender flag-patterned bow pins, which students were able to take home. Finally, candy was handed out for students to enjoy and eat while working on the cards.
“[The goal is] basically to help queer kids who might be going through a rough time,” freshman Xavier Martinez-Goss said.
“With recent events, there has been more violence, disputes, and it’s just really sad because it’s not like we have done anything as people,” Eames said. “We’re humans too, we want to express ourselves as the way that we see who we are, and I feel like most people don’t really understand that.”
Trans Day of Visibility is one of the ways that the GSA tries to make the school feel like a safer and a more welcoming place for students in the LGBTQ+ community, along with many other events held throughout the school year.
“[The club is] super safe, super welcoming. Everyone is super kind,” Eames said.
Over the course of lunch, GSA decorated a total of 20 colorful, handmade cards. To maximize their impact, they will be hosting another card making event on the Green for Point of Pride on April 16 during Awareness Week.
