NEW RESOURCES AVAILABLE ON CAMPUS
AFTER A YEAR, THE COLLEGE ENACTS NEW RESOURCES FOR TRANS STUDENTS
BY W ILLIAM FARRIS „
THE CLACKAMAS-PRINT -
On May 17 o f last-year the Clackamas
Print released a story about the lack of
resources available for trans students
on cam pus. A t th e tim e, Clackam as
Com m unity College stated that while
they didn’t have many ways of supporting
students, they hoped that over time this
would change, but there were still other
options available., Sihce then, much has
changed, not just on campus, but on a
national scale; almost a year later, it’s
time to see exactly what’s changed.
The biggest resource on campus for
LGBTQ questions and issues is currently
the counseling department. Counselors
can help students receive support,
answer their questions and even guide
them to find various local groups that can
help with students who are transitioning
or questioning.
Groups and com m unities like The
Living Room and Planned Parenthood
rem ain great places to go for LGBTQ
people. However, since the college still
lacks on-campus dedicated programs,
directing students is still the best way
of supplying resources for transitioning,
though it has been stated that o n -
campus options are expanding.
The biggest change that the counseling
department has seen has been in the
opinion o f students and the number
seeking aid. Counselor and academic
adviser Ignacio Gonzalez said, “ The
Overall view from m y colleagues is
that we are all definitely seeing more
variety of students, and 1 think they’re
becom ing more comfortable knowing
there are services in here. ” He also stated
that the department was seeing more
students now, com ing in and talking
with counselors since last year.
T h e c o u n s e lin g d e p a rtm e n t
rem ains an open space to talk to
people and ask questions if students
need to, but still lacks resources for
students to transition or get started.
P laces lik e th e M u ltic u ltu ra l
C e n te r and A sso cia te d Stu d en t
Government are also inclusive spaces
for LGBTQ activity, but still don’ t
graphic by Alexis Wagar
feft«
Trans men
«
harassed by law
enforcement
Trans women
s o w
experienced discrimination
at work
harassed or
bullied at school
mi
«
had a doctor or healthcare
provider refuse treatment
at work
ft lÌife D Q Ìi
«
experienced homelessness
rn 1 jGTji q i T W f l v f c f t
-
at school
w
»
&
The information in this graphic was sourced from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey and examines
how lifetime suicide attempts vary among different groups of transgender and gender non-conforming people.
Clackamas Print ---------------- — 1_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
theciackam asprint.net
have many ways to help students at
this tim e. The m ulticultural center
does, however, do its best to reach
out to students w ith events and
inform ation. On the table outside
the M ulticulture Center office are
pamphlets and packets for anyone
to grab, that provides inform ation
for trans people and supporters
alike. They have also hosted events
like the show ing o f LGBTQ film
Moonlight, directed by Barry Jenkins
and celeb rating natio n al com ing
out day to help give support to the
com munity.
“ We did events to reach out more
to students we don’t know, or hard
to reach, ” said m ulticultural center
leader Xiao Tan.
A S G does its b e st to fo s te r
a s u p p o r tiv e a n d in c lu s iv e
environment on campus as well. They
have invited m ultiple organizations
w ith trans aid and resources to
health fairs on-cam pus to help with
issues affecting LGBTQ students like
housing and suicide prevention.
Even though they don’t have direct
ways to help m ost o f the tim e, ASG
president Jairo Rodríguez said,“ We
do have some things in our files for
resources, and were still b uilding
up on those. ” He also expressed his
con fiden ce th at they w ould gain
more resources to help in the future.
W hile C C C s till lacks resources
for trans stud ents and has even
lost some like the Gender Sexuality
Alliance which hasn’t met in over a
term, the environment and opinion
around the schoolhas changed.
M ore stud ents are co m in g out
and lo o k in g fo r su p p o rt, w h ile
the student body and its various
organizations do more tb em b race
diversity and be more w elcom ing.
Even if the school still has more to
do, it still continues to move in jthe
right direction.
February 28 , 2018