This story appeared April 17, 1998, in the Gay People's Chronicle, P.O. Box 5426, Cleveland, Ohio 44101. 216-631-8646
Fax: 216-631-1082 E-mail: Chronicle@ChronOhio.com

by Dawn Leach

Oberlin--When the Oberlin College Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Union decided to become the LGBT Union, they weren't exactly sure what the "T" meant. So they decided to spend a week exploring that question. In doing so, they may have made Oberlin the first U.S. college to host such an event.

"I was blown away when I heard about it," said International Foundation for Gender Education director Nancy Nangeroni. "I've never heard about anything like this."

The LGBT Trans Awareness Week planning committee put together a week of events scheduled to culminate in Oberlin's popular annual Drag Ball. The college estimates that the ball-the sixth annual event--brought 1,700 attendees this year, most of them in drag.

The earlier part of the week consisted of smaller, more intimate events, each drawing 15-20 students. Transgender activist Holly Boswell, a 1972 Oberlin graduate, led a workshop in gender spirituality and transgender liberation. Members of TransFamily Cleveland led a film showing of You Don't Know Dick, about female-to-male transsexuals, and a workshop on passing. Participants were encouraged to spend a day trying to pass in a different gender.

Later in the week, over 160 students filled an auditorium to hear a lecture on transgender liberation by Leslie Feinberg, author of Stone Butch Blues and Transgender Warriors. Feinberg arrived more than 30 minutes late because of a flight delay to find the auditorium still packed with students. After a lecture that covered transgender issues from the personal to political, students gave a standing ovation.

Boswell was pleased by the response to Trans Awareness week. She said that in her generation, people couldn't imagine questioning their gender roles.

"That's shifting, and it's great," Boswell said. "It takes the pressure off, and kids don't have to react so strongly to fight the gender oppression"

Boswell said she loves the playful approach to the Drag Ball. "People can just go and get over it," she said. "Just go play in gender."

Trans Awareness organizer Cara Wick agreed.

"I think that the 1,700 people who came to the party, most of them in drag, learned a lot from the experience," said Wick.

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