Co-ordinated by the Laurier Rainbow Centre, Trans Awareness week was a tremendous success and should be heralded as an example for other campus groups who wish to create awareness.
With the Trevor Project reporting that 89 per cent of transgendered students were verbally harassed last year and with the recent media attention surrounding suicides caused by homophobia, it is important that the university community embrace events like the ones put on by the Rainbow Centre.
The centre and its volunteers, including the weekโs co-ordinator Chris Owen, should be commended for their innovative and dynamic ideas. The centreโs volunteers combined entertaining events such as Wilfโs Drag Domination on Friday night with important critical thinking discussions like the one on Nov. 19.
It is through these types of initiatives that a wide array of individuals across campus will be educated about issues normally labeled as taboo.
Participants created an atmosphere for learning that broke down the barriers so regularly related to issues of identity.
More groups on campus should learn from the Rainbow Centreโs successful week of education and entertainment. At a school of often poorly attended guest speakers and conferences, their events were a breath of fresh air โ so take note.