Originally published in The Eastern Echo, 2/18/2015 (http://www.easternecho.com/article/2015/02/beyond-the-binary)
A large crowd of students gathered in the Quirk Sponberg Theatre for a
frank discussion on gender as part of the event “Beyond the Binary” on
Tuesday.
The event featured speaker Noelle Cook, who is transgender.
Noelle provided insight on the role of gender in society highlighting the differences between cultures.
She explained genders that exist in certain non-Western cultures,
such as the “hijra” of Pakistan and India who identify as neither male
nor female.
Other cultures with third genders include the Samoans
and native Hawaiians, the latter of which have the “mahu,” an esteemed
group whom Noelle described as being primarily domestic but not female.
Noelle
clarified the definitions of several commonly confused terms,
particularly gender identity, which she described as one’s “personal
experience with their own gender.”
“A person’s gender is only a very, very tiny part of them and it mostly depends on their own experience,” Noelle said.
Following
the short, informative session, Noelle invited attendees to ask her
about any aspect of
transgender life they were curious about.
No
topic was off-limits -- Noelle shared stories of discrimination and the
hardships she faced since beginning her physical transition 13 months
ago, such as having experienced difficulty receiving medical care and
being refused service when the gender on her ID did not match the gender
she presented.
According to Noelle, one in 12 transgender people
will be murdered and 41 percent end up taking their own lives.
Additionally, while the transgender population is only estimated to be
.5 percent of the population, about 10 percent of crimes are directed
toward them.
Despite these unpleasant aspects of transitioning, Noelle remains confident and content with her gender identity.
“I’d rather risk being that one in 12 or 41 percent to experience who I really am,” she said. “I am so much more at peace.”
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