For their” TRANSFORMATIVE STORIES” initiative, which features speeches by transgender and nonbinary Coloradans, politicians hosted players from Motus Theater at the Colorado State Services Building on Thursday night.
” A main focus of our work is developing skillfully crafted, personal speeches, with individuals impacted by the injustice of the legal constitutional system, the immigration system, or often targeted by dehumanizing speech and plans”, said Alexis Miles, a Board Member of Motus Theater.
This particular performance featured Dr. Morgan Seamont, Director of the University of Colorado Boulder’s Pride Office, and Ruby Lopez, a community advocate currently living in Denver. Out Boulder County provided the funds for the event.
The project has previously staged numerous performances, and more are on the horizon. However, this event took place prior to Trans Day of Visibility, which is celebrated annually on March 31. Many people view the anniversary as an opportunity to raise awareness of issues that transgender people face in their day-to-day lives as well.
” We want to give people a little sense of what it is to be trans, the struggles of being trans, and who we are as people”, said state Rep. Brianna Titone ( D- Arvada ), who hosted the event, during her introductory speech.
Multiple other legislators joined to co- host the event, the full list included state Sen. Steve Fenberg ( D- Boulder ), Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis ( D- Lafayette ), Judy Amabile ( D- Boulder ), Kyle Brown ( D- Louisville ), Chad Clifford ( D- Centennial ), Elizabeth Epps ( D- Denver ), Lorena Garcia ( D- Westminster ), Leslie Herod ( D- Denver ), Junie Joseph ( D- Boulder ), Karen McCormick ( D- Longmont ), Jennifer Parenti ( D- Longmont ), Elizabeth Velasco ( D- Glenwood Springs ), and Stephanie Vigil ( D- Colorado Springs ).
In recent years, trans issues have been thrust into the forefront of U. S. political discourse. Many Republicans and conservative activists have smeared LGBTQ people, and trans people especially, as child predators, using them as a wedge issue to galvanize right- wing voters.
Nearly 500 bills targeting the LGBTQ community have been introduced in state legislatures across the country, with the majority of the bills specifically targeting trans people, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Advocates are not concerned about such bills passing in Colorado because Democrats have majority in both legislative houses, including a sizable LGBTQ caucus. Conservative activists have, however, spearheaded numerous ballot initiatives to put a transgender rights issue in motion in November.
The difficulties that come with being a part of a community that is facing political unrest were addressed in the monologues.
” Really, what makes people so afraid of a child being trans? a child you assumed to be a boy was a girl, but you later learned a boy was a boy. Or a child saying, I do n’t want to be either gender. Why ca n’t we just support our trans kids”? Seamont said. Why are there hundreds of pieces of legislation being presented right now against the wishes of parents who are just trying to help their child choose life and the wishes of the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other people?
However, the performers concentrated more on the joy in life after identifying as trans people, a journey that had its fair share of turns and turns.
In her monologue, Lopez recounted that after finally coming out as a trans woman, she “moved to Washington, D. C., fell in love, fell out of love, paused my transition, got sober, moved to San Francisco, lived with Buddhist monks, moved back to Chicago, fell in and out of love again, resumed the transition, moved out to Boulder, came out to people all over again. Legally changed my name, had my first gender affirming surgery, became an advocate for trans people of color, had my second gender affirming surgery, moved to Denver and now, here I am”.
People frequently ask me if I was reborn, would I choose to be trans and experience the same struggle again? Seamont said. ” The answer is yes. There are so many gifts”.
Following the performance, the legislators, performers, and members of the audience moved across the street to the state Capitol, where Motus Theater and Trans Day of Visibility would be recognized with an official proclamation from Reps. Titone and Joseph.
” We exist here. We are making every effort to fill that crucial role in society. We are teachers and doctors and lawyers”, Titone said from the well. ” And legislators, occasionally. And we all want to just live in our neighborhoods. We want to see people like us in places, and that’s what we had this morning. Moses shared some of the tales of the difficulties that trans people face in attempting to be themselves and how challenging it is.
She concluded,” We’re not looking for any kind of special treatment, we’re looking to be treated just like everyone else. And that’s why this day is so important”.
