A reimagination of the light blue and light pink striped Trans flag highlighting and celebrating Trans identities.
By Ria Rao, Cognitive Science, CSW|Streisand Center Student Worker
Trans Awareness Month is celebrated in November to honor the transgender and gender-nonconforming community through education, celebration, and advocacy. Some highlights for this month is Transgender Awareness Week from November 13th-19th and Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20th which honors those lost to anti-transgender violence. This was founded in 1999 by trans woman Gwendolyn Ann Smith after Rita Hester lost her life to anti-transgender violence on November 28th, 1998.
UCLA Resources
Below are some UCLA-specific resources for students and faculty to use!
UCLA LBGTQ Campus Resource Center
The UCLA LGBTQ Campus Resource Center has been serving the UCLA community for 30 years, offering a comprehensive range of services! This includes community building, outreach, training, consultation, resource sharing, counseling, referrals, and collective empowerment for on campus.
In addition to services like name and gender marker changes, scholarships, on-campus case management, and weekly safe space workshops, the center also hosts events! On November 20th, the UCLA LGBTQ CRC is inviting the UCLA community to the Los Angeles LGBT Center for their annual Trans Day of Remembrance vigil to remember those who have died from anti-transgender violence. This event includes free transportation from campus for those who RSVP, which is also available on their website!
UCLA Health Presents Trans Affirming Care
UCLA Health presents the LGBTQ+ Health Initiative, which is designed to create a compassionate and supportive environment for all patients. Their services include primary care with LGBTQ+ Champion doctors trained to deliver inclusive care, (including the Gender Health and EMPWR programs and HIV care provided at the CARE Center), and coordinated access to UCLA Health’s specialists for comprehensive care. The LGBTQ+ Champion doctors are ensured to create a safe, welcoming environment to discuss Trans people’s health and wellness, equitable access to healthcare with understanding for Trans identities, and expert preventive care.
Community Building
During an era of rampant and ongoing anti-trans legislation, harmful rhetoric, and transphobic political propaganda, redirecting our attention and prioritizing our energy in the Trans community is valuable. This includes attending events organized and led by Trans community members, platforming Trans stories, and advocating for the community.
Below are some inspiring stories to uplift:
Trans Stories are Everyone’s Stories Short Film
This short film is from “Human Rights Campaign”, which is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights foundation. They have spent more than 40 years building a movement to make equality and liberation a reality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. This short film tells the story of Daniel, whose “ story is typical of any teenager with the same quiet milestones of youth that we all experience. He’s also one of more than two million people who are transgender or non-binary in the United States.” human In the short and heartwarming film, Daniel says, “We are not some hypothetical political debate. We’re whole human beings with communities around us and people who love us and value us.” His story is not unlike other Trans youth today, who simply want to be heard.
Four Trans Teen Organizers of Trans Prom Are Fighting for the Future of Their Community
This story features four transgender teenagers (Daniel Trujillo, Hobbes Chukumba, Libby Gonzalez, and Grayson McFerrin) who organized Trans Prom in May 2023. It was a a joyful and defiant celebration for trans and non-binary youth held in front of the U.S. Capitol. The event brought together over 50 teens from across the country during a time of intense anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, offering a powerful statement of resilience and community. The organizers aimed to show that, despite political attacks, trans joy and identity cannot be erased. Their efforts were later recognized with the Trailblazer Award at the Human Rights Campaign’s National Dinner. Each teen expressed pride in the impact they made and hope for a future of continued activism, creativity, and self-expression.
Trans Lives in Scotland: A Story of Identity, Struggle, and Hope Documentary
A documentary by Bingeworthy Documentaries, this doc features five trans women at various stages of transition, from hormone therapy to a sex change operation and was filmed over the course of a year. Follow five extraordinary trans women from the small towns in Scotland on their personal journeys to live as their true selves. From bus drivers and makeup artists to activists and mothers, their lives are a moving portrait of courage, loss, healing, and transformation. With raw honesty and emotional depth, this documentary explores what it means to be transgender in modern society by highlighting the battles for acceptance, the beauty of community, and the resilience found in identity. From hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgery to moments of joy, pain, and laughter, this is a celebration of human spirit. Whether you’re here to understand or to support, this story will stay with you.
CSW|Streisand Center
The UCLA Center for the Study of Women (CSW) works towards a world in which education and scholarship are tools for social justice feminism, improving the lives of people of all genders! Aside from platforming feminist research, our space also offers co-sponshorship for events and bookings for meetings! Feel free to check out books from trans and feminist authors from our mini library at Pub Aff 1500! Stay updates with future events such as Just Research research stream and our annual Thinking Gender Conference by joining our mailing list here.
Ria Rao is a junior at UCLA studying Cognitive Science and Statistics & Data Science. She has been involved with UCLA student media organizations UCLA Radio and FEM News Magazine, and now serves the CSW|Streisand Center as a Student Worker.
