SAGE hosts Transgender Visibility Day brunch 

By Lexi White

Features Editor 

Transgender Day of Visibility is a day to shine light on those who represent the ‘T’ in the LGBTQ+ community. To celebrate the national occasion, the Sexuality and Gender Equality Center, also known as the SAGE Center, hosted a brunch on March 31.  

The SAGE Center’s Graduate Intern, Serginho Walker, said he admired how supportive the environment was.  

“Being able to show up in a space and be a representative of that, it allows more students that occupy other identities also feel like they’re included and like they have a voice and that they’re being seen,” Walker said.  

Walker identifies as nonbinary and goes by he/him pronouns.

“Some days I may feel more masculine and more of a male, but other days I may feel more female and wear makeup,” Walker said. “I express myself in a way that makes me happy.” 

While Walker said he has been supported as nonbinary on campus, other situations outside of the university have not always been so kind.  

“It’s been difficult, especially in the workplace,” Walker said. “I was asked to leave my place for employment because of how I showed up, was compared to that of a typical cisgender male and really was humiliated.” 

Communication and history major Jace Flanagan-Bonilla, a freshman, said he feels unsupported outside of the university as a transgender man.  

“Everything going on in politics is terrifying for me,” Flanagan-Bonilla said. “I was in the middle of changing my gender marker when Social Security said they are not accepting that anymore.” 

Flanagan-Bonilla knew since he was 5-years-old that he was a boy. He would wear more masculine clothing and express himself in a way that truly reflects how he feels.  

“I always grew up different, like before I even came out, I was sort of like a tomboy,” Flanagan-Bonilla said. “I feel like this event is very beneficial for the people in the transgender community.” 

Another student who resides in the LGBTQ+ community who attended the brunch was psychology major Patrick Burden, a senior. Trans acceptance is very important to Burden. 

“That voice needs to be amplified because we’re here, we’ve been here, we’re always going to be here,” Burden said. “I go by all pronouns: he, him, she, her, they and them.” 

There were not just LGBTQ+ students that attended the Transgender Day of Visibility brunch. Allies showed their support of the community too. 

Psychology major Thomas Robertson, a senior, said he attended the brunch to encourage his friend Burden to be whoever they want to be.  

“The point of me coming to events like this is so I can consolidate who’s a safe person for my friends and know who would accept them,” Robertson said. “That’s something important to me.” 

Robertson also said he was shocked to realize how awful others can treat those in the LGBTQ+ community.  

“I guess I was just raised right, but I thought that everyone should accepted as they are,” Robertson said. “We should be judging people by their character, not by how they choose to identify.”