Forum to hit on transgender issues

Graduate student Caleb Colvard had many questions about his identity while he was growing up. When he changed his physical appearance from a woman to match his gender identity as a man, he answered some of those questions for himself. \nNow, Colvard will have a chance to help answer others' questions about gender identity. \nEveryone is invited to learn more about transgender college students at 7 p.m. tonight in Room 143 of the Geology Building. Several local sponsors are hosting a free screening of an extended first episode in an eight-part series called "TransGeneration," a Sundance Channel production. \n"TransGeneration" is a documentary series that follows four transgender college students through one school year, according to the Sundance Channel Web site. Colvard and other students who identify themselves as transgender people will answer questions after the screening. \n"Transgender is used as an umbrella term which includes all people who have gender identities, expressions or behaviors not traditionally associated with their birth sex," according to the Kinsey Institute's Sexuality Information Service for Students. \nColvard said students should understand every transgender person's situation is different.\n"While there are a lot of films discussing transgender issues, this is the first focusing on students transitioning during their undergraduate years," Colvard said. "There's not one set path for people that identify as transgender."\nColvard, 23, was born female, and began the transition process as an IU undergrad at age 21. He had chest surgery two years ago and began taking testosterone one year ago. "I feel so much more comfortable with myself now," he said. \nColvard said he defines his sexual orientation as "queer or bisexual." \n"For me it's about the fact that if I have female reproductive organs but I look like any other guy and I feel like my gender is some place in between," Colvard said. "How is it possible for me to have a traditional sexual orientation?" \nColvard thinks "TransGeneration" will appeal to a wide variety of IU students. \n"The students in this film are roughly the same age as the students who will be watching," he said. "They could easily be someone in one of their classes who is dealing with some of these issues." \nJohn Howard, director of Bloomington Media Arts Group, said he is happy to co-sponsor this event. \n"I think we need to facilitate a dialogue and an understanding of these issues, and I think this film would be a great way to look into the lives of college students," he said. \nJunior gender studies major Nick Clarkson will also be on the student panel. He said he hopes students will gain a better understanding of what it means to identify as transgender. \n"I think a lot of people think of it as guys in dresses," he said. "It's a broader range; there are people transitioning in both directions, and there are college students doing this." \nClarkson emphasizes that sexual orientation and gender identity are not the same thing. Gender identity describes how a person views him or herself, be it a man, a woman, somewhere in between, or none of the above. Sexual orientation involves a physical and romantic attraction to another person. Colvard defined sex as being male, female, or intersex. He defined gender identity as a person identifying as a man, woman, transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, two-spirit or a variety of other personal identity labels. He said gender expression or presentation refers to being masculine, feminine or androgynous. \n"Society doesn't allow for someone to not clearly be a man or a woman, which is the reason so many Transpeople are persecuted," Colvard said.\n"I think as part of everything in your life, you have to be comfortable with some gray area," Clarkson said. "Our society is good at pretending things are separated into binaries. There's so much pressure to figure out where you fit into groups, and people conform because they don't know that there are other options." \nDoug Bauder, coordinator of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Support Services, said this event will serve as a good introduction to transgender people. \n"Life is about transitions," Bauder said. "This has got to be one of the most startling ones that anyone can go through, and I think we all have things to learn from each other when we go through these changes in our lives"