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Vigil stresses education, peace

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The University of Wisconsin's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Campus Center held a candlelight vigil Thursday night to remember those who have died from anti-transgender violence.

The LGBTCC hosted Transgender Awareness Week from Nov. 11 to Nov. 17, consisting of various lectures, discussions and performances to raise awareness about transgender issues and help others become more accepting of their sexuality.

"We've had the vigil for about 12 years, and we really see it bringing the campus together with the community people," said Joe Erbentraut, LGBT events coordinator. "That's kind of a rare thing in Madison."

LGBTCC members also posted tombstones along Bascom Hill with the names of individuals killed by anti-transgender violence. Each stone displayed a victim's cause of death and year he or she was murdered.

"I think the general public views [transgendered people] as a subordinate class, like they don't deserve the same rights as other people," said Maren Greathouse, LGBT student service specialist. "It's like they think that they have a gender problem, and because of that they can't function with the social norm."

UW's LGBT community is always expanding, Erbentraut said, though there will always be those who are homophobic. For example, Wisconsin does not have laws to protect transgendered people in the work force, he said.

"Honestly, it's hard for such a conservative group to accept an issue that seems so foreign to them," Erbentraut said. "Like, last year they banned gay marriage, and that's so depressing. It's like we don't have an identity."

LGBT education outreach specialist Chris Bjorkman said transgender discrimination relates to racism and a lack of knowledge about sexuality issues.

"A lot of people on campus live in this happy bubble and don't think about it very much," Bjorkman said. "It's like thinking that racism is gone when it really isn't. It is all connected. Homophobia is alive and still with us."

According to Greathouse, being transgender is a frustrating experience to some. Not only is their gender a dilemma, but also the way society is supposed to view them.

LGBTCC met with University Housing in a panel discussion earlier this week to begin solving issues transgender individuals may experience in dorm life. It can be as easy as forming nongender bathrooms, or as simple as asking which gender an individual prefers to be called, Erbentraut said.

"I would say [to non-transgendered people] to close their eyes and imagine waking up in the morning, and after taking a shower, looking at themselves in the mirror and thinking, 'Man, this body is not mine,'" Erbentraut said. "Then imagine having to hide that and living every day with a name you don't relate to."

UW's Campus Women's Center hosted a discussion after the vigil and discussed what approach they can take to Transgender Awareness Week in the upcoming year. Some ideas included a T-shirt campaign and a gender workshop, where students can explore their gender in a safe environment.

"Madison is more accepting than most places, but you can still tell we have a long way to go," Erbentraut said. "Just remember it's a privilege that we don't have to defend our gender every day."