Proposal

The current climate of advocacy for the transgender community is gaining more media coverage and visibility. With outspoken figures such as author Janet Mock, actress Laverne Cox, and poet Kay Ulanday Barrett, the needs and perspectives of transgender people are being circulated, and even voted on by the general public. In recognizing that the voices and stories of individuals are crucial to trans liberation, we, at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, aim to showcase the artwork(s) of transgender people of color in a night of celebration and honor. This night will be happen in conjunction with a separate evening of speakers sharing knowledge about the ways in which we can advocate for the needs and care of transgender youth.

In 1989, critical race theory scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term “intersectionality”. This word highlights the overlapping identities of individuals, and recognizes the various oppressions and privileges that those identities carry. We know that Black men are disproportionately targeted and killed by the police. We know that LGBTQ youth are disproportionately bullied and homeless when compared to their straight/cisgender peers. What happens when we look at cross section of those different identities and allow those voices to be a part of the narrative? The goal of this showcase is to call attention to the identities of the queer and trans community at the intersection of non-white races and ethnicities.

Along with the showcase, we are hosting a lecture and workshop with A.T. Furuya, a Japanese American transgender US Historian, and advocate and mentor for trans youth in San Diego. A.T. will be accompanied by four transgender youth working in San Diego to help cultivate strong communities, and advocate for transgender rights. The coalition of youth doing social justice work today is widespread. At HGSE, we hope to recognize those efforts by offering space for youth to share their work themselves. The goal is to connect San Diego youth with local LGBTQ Boston organizations in order to aid in the coalition building across the country.

An event of this magnitude, open to the entire Harvard community, requires the resources just beyond the reach of the Office of Student Affairs. We have estimated the total cost for the showcase and lecture to be $3,802.64. We are hoping to gain the financial support of local departments to help relieve the cost of transportation for our youth educators. We appreciate the interest in helping to aid us in the implementation of this 2-day presentation that will contribute to the education of our HGSE community, and hopefully beyond.

Appendix

Proposed Event Day Breakdown

DAY 1 OF 2: TUESDAY, JANUARY 31st, 2017

PUBLIC RECEPTION & QTPOC ART SHOWCASE in the American Repertory Theater

DAY 2 OF 2: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1st, 2017

TRANS YOUTH ADVOCACY LECTURE/WORKSHOP in the American Repertory Theater

With A.T. Furuya and San Diego Trans Youth

Proposed Dates of Art Display in Gutman Conference Center *if needed

Friday January 28th, 2017 - February 4th, 2017 in the Gutman Conference Center