Before I came to Trans* Lounge, I didn’t have a Queer or Trans/GNC/ENBY community of my own. Working here has allowed me not only to meet so many in my communities, but also to be a part of dialogues and conversations. Things I used to wonder about constantly in my head, I realized so many others had the same questions, and we just needed forums to connect.
The opportunities to be a part of facilitating that is something I have been so grateful for. That and working with Trans/ENBY youth is just pure magic – they are superheroes, and there is so much we can all learn from them.
I was a member of Trans* Lounge starting back in 2017 and the next year became a Trans* Lounge Instructor when I began facilitating Redefining Masculinities. Facilitating groups is where I started to find a lot meaning and connection in my life. I was really drawn to the Trans* Lounge program, and how unique it is. I’m so grateful to get to continue and expand that work.
I also come from a theatre and performing arts world, and the Trans* Lounge being situating in the Cultural Arts department has made it a very natural fit for me to be a part of supporting all the other Cultural Arts Programming as well.
Because of the COVID 19 pandemic, Trans* Lounge and Trans Pride have been entirely virtual this year. In the current circumstances, keeping folks connected and engaged feels even more important than ever before. Our new sign-ups have increased and our groups sizes have grown in many cases.
I’ve learned that producing events online is remarkably similar to producing things in real life – but also different. The details of what you are producing shifts when the venue is online, but coordination, details and production stress is all the same in some ways.
Because it was virtual this year, my mom was able to come to Trans Pride! I didn’t know she was coming but there she was in every event we did, both days, all the way from Sacramento. At the start of one of the workshops, I got a text from her that said: “I like your hair!”
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Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Year Started Working at Center: 2019
Staff Position: Cultural Arts Program Specialist & Trans* Lounge
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