By Martin Ramirez/ south news editor
A South Campus event will feature LGBT students and allies voicing their experience and knocking down myths surrounding the community April 21.
Trans Panel: Trans Parent is sponsored by the Spectrum club and will inform students, faculty and parents about transgender people and LGBT issues. Club members — three transgender students and a parent of a transgender student — will answer questions and discuss their experiences.
Spectrum president Tyler Jackson is excited about having a parent talk at the event for the first time.
“People can expect to be uncomfortable but in a good way,” he said. “There will be a lot of honesty and vulnerability.”
Speaker Roy Rodriquez, a transgender student, hopes to educate people attending and share his story.
“You will be hearing from an actual trans person,” he said. “We will educate the people who don’t understand and stop myths surrounding us.”
Fay Brewer, another transgender student, and her father, retired Army reserve ordnance officer Richard Brewer, will also speak. Richard Brewer will answer and ask questions since he is still trying to adjust to the LGBT community.
“I’m just trying to get a better feeling of how I should deal with my daughter,” Richard Brewer said. “This whole scene right now is so new to me. It doesn’t frighten me, but it is new.”
His daughter is more at ease.
“Most of the time people who talk to me are curious, so I have no problem talking about it,” Fay Brewer said.
Member Sarah Ezrow will talk about differences between sexuality and gender.
“There are curious people wanting to know,” she said.
Other Spectrum members hope those who attend will walk away with better knowledge and understanding of LGBT issues. Shalonda Irick and Allison Sangsvang, along with other members, will also answer questions.
“I want people to learn not to judge trans people but to accept them,” Irick said.
Sangsvang is also looking for acceptance.
“People need to have an open mind to the transgender community,” Sangsvang said.
The event will be 1-3 p.m. in the SSTU Forum Room. For more information, contact South counseling director Ticily Medley at ticily.medley@tccd.edu.
