The Intercultural & Diversity Center will acknowledge victims of transgender violence as part of a National Transgender Day of Remembrance program being held Nov. 21 at UB.

The program, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Union lobby, will include a display featuring the names, ages, locations and times of death of members of the transgendered community who have been murdered. Those who attend can add the names of other community members they would like to commemorate. Attendees will be given candles to memorialize victims of transphobia and anti-transgender hate and prejudice, with a candle being lit for each victim.  

“There is a transgender community at UB and it is our hope that through this program we can create an environment where all UB students feel welcomed and included,” says Terri Budek, associate director of the Intercultural & Diversity Center.

Staff from Wellness Education Services and Diversity Advocates from the Intercultural & Diversity Center will be available to talk about the #IllGoWithYou campaign. Those who sign the campaign pledge will be given a pin indicating they support transgender individuals and will help those who need an ally to feel safe when going into such gendered spaces as bathrooms and locker rooms.    

Budek says the #IllGoWithYou campaign allows people who are not part of the transgender community to think about the everyday obstacles their peers may face.

Further efforts to help the transgender community at UB include the Working Group for Transgender Inclusion, led by Sharon Nolan-Weiss, director of the Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and co-chaired by Teresa Miller, vice provost for equity and inclusion.  

The working group focuses on creating a more inclusive community for students who identify as transgender. So far, there has been a lot of support and advocacy from UB administrators, Budek says.

“It is our hope that transgender students feel supported on campus and that they are just as much a part of our community as every other person,” she says. “I hope we increase the capacity for acceptance of all.”  

For more information on the Working Group for Transgender Inclusion, contact Sharon Nolan-Weiss.