Transgender film star shares activism insight

Identifying one's gender isn't typically involved in introductions, but Michigan State graduate student T.J. Jourian finds it a common, yet unwelcome, scenario.\nThe Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Student Support Services sponsored a discussion with Jourian, one of four students followed in Sundance Channel's documentary series "TransGeneration" which features transgender students on their respective college campuses across the country, Tuesday evening in Woodburn Hall.\nSenior Will O'Berry, programs coordinator for GLBTSSS, said, after the turnout of the preview of "TransGeneration" shown on campus last September, the office was moved to invite Jourian to speak on campus to address transgender issues, a topic not typically explored in-depth.\n"When you're dealing with all these different issues, you have to cover all the bases," O'Berry said.\nJourian, who was also a guest on Larry King Live in late February to discuss a separate film, the Oscar-nominated "Trans and Bloomington residents about his identification as "genderqueer," which he describes as "a different way of understanding one's body in context of how they identify."\nJourian said he doesn't feel either 100 percent female or male, though he was born with female anatomy. \n"Gender means nothing (to me)," he said.\nJourian said "TransGeneration" is a groundbreaking documentary since it might have been the first time mainstream media didn't focus on a single-dimensional point of view of people who are transgender.\nHe said typically popular media texts focus only on the physical transition, while "TransGeneration" looked at the students' personal lives.\n"I welcomed the opportunity share my story," he said.\nJourian spoke largely about his commitment to trans-activism. He said he's disappointed with the current awareness of trans lifestyles and meanings on college campuses.\n"Trans voices are still not heard or being talked to," he said. \nJourian said when he came out on his campus, he felt as if he became a problem due to the ignorance about people who are transgender.\n"I'm very much afraid of how people will react to not being able to put me in a gender box," he said. \nJourian said that sometimes people who've seen "TransGeneration" will recognize him in public and still address him as "she," which he said is frustrating.\n"Even after seeing my story, they still couldn't grasp the most basic concepts about trans male identity," he said. \nJourian said he took issue with the gender binary of U.S. culture and pointed out its constraints.\n"In essence, assigning sexual identification based on sexual behavior minimizes our whole lives to these miniscule one-dimensional parts that don't tell the whole story," he said. \nBloomington resident Ilan Blustein was in attendance and is transgender. He spoke at the discussion, adding to Jourian's message about gender boundaries. \n"I don't feel trapped in a wrong body," he said. "I've always experienced gender in a way that's more fluid."\nSophomore and transgender Preston Cutter said he was moved by Jourian's message about activism.\n"When one group is opressed, everyone is oppressed," he said.\nJourian left the crowd with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to sum up his thoughts on the oppressed state of people who are transgender: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." \nHe also challenged the crowd to contribute to an open-minded culture through activism and awareness.\n"We can't avoid the privileges we had or the harm we do to others but we can do whatever we can to minimize it," he said.\nFor more information on "TransGeneration," visit www.sundancechannel.com/transgeneration/.