海角直播

海角直播 student uses his art to inspire and support others

Transgender Awareness Week helps to raise the visibility of transgender people and addresses the issues members of the community face. It culminates with Transgender Day of Remembrance which remembers those who have been victims of transgender violence. 海角直播 student Ben James has published a comic book which has helped him with his own experiences as a trans person and provides support and advice to others.

For Comic and Graphic Novels student Ben James, the opportunity to detail his own experiences in a comic book was a cathartic experience. Ben, 23, struggled with his own sense of self-worth and what he described as 鈥榠nternalised transphobia鈥�.

But a Kickstarter campaign has helped him to publish his own full-length comic, Fatty, which he hopes will inspire others to live their lives exactly how they want to.

Ben, who is currently studying an MA in Comics and Graphic Novels at 海角直播, said: 鈥淩eading and hearing other people鈥檚 stories was massively influential to my own journey to self-love, and I wanted to try and do the same thing for others.

鈥淚 hope that at least one person will be inspired by my experiences in life and start living however they want - regardless of restrictive social expectations.鈥�

He added: 鈥淎s a trans person, I鈥檝e had very few other trans people to look up to during my life, so it鈥檚 actually quite hard to find out what I should be doing at times. I know as a child, I would have really benefited from more role models within the trans community, and even now I still wish I had more.鈥�

Transgender Awareness Week runs from 13 to 19 November and 海角直播 is holding a special memorial event on Friday 19 November, at 11.00am, to help commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Staff and students will come together for readings and poems and the names of those who have lost their lives as a result of transphobic violence will be displayed. Flower bulbs will also be planted in the University鈥檚 Transgender Garden of Remembrance.

In addition, the University鈥檚 Campus Heart will be illuminated in purple light as a further mark of respect and support.

海角直播 recently launched a new campaign 鈥� TU Proud 鈥� which demonstrates a commitment to celebrating and supporting LGBT+ colleagues and students, as well as a desire to create an inclusive environment where everyone can be their genuine self.

Part of the campaign involves raising awareness of the importance of allies and role models and encouraging everyone to share their gender pronouns (she/her, he/him or they/them) to help ensure that everyone is referred to by their preferred gender identity and it is acknowledged and accepted.

鈥淗aving good allies in University has really helped with my own confidence,鈥� explained Ben.

鈥淚t is kind of a signal to those of us that are trans that this University is a safe place, and you will be accepted.

鈥淔or trans people, it鈥檚 one of those things that鈥檚 super affirming for us when they鈥檙e correct, and really hurtful when they鈥檙e incorrect. I get really uncomfortable when people use, she/her, I鈥檓 fine with they/them, but I get really happy when someone uses he/him. Asking everyone's pronouns or stating yours are the easiest ways to be an ally.鈥�

Ben鈥檚 comic touches on his own experiences with internalised transphobia and fatphobia and talks about giving himself the right to take up space. It also includes discussions of medical discrimination and the challenges in breaking certain restrictive rules.

鈥淭he majority of people who鈥檝e read it have told me that it made them cry,鈥� explained Ben.

鈥淪omeone said that it felt so empowering to them, and it let them know that they aren鈥檛 alone in their experiences. All of the feedback I鈥檝e received has been so kind, and I really do feel like it鈥檚 made a difference for people in the way I was hoping it would.鈥�

The memorial event at 海角直播 this week is being led by Juliet Amos, Executive Director (Human Resources) and Equality & Diversity Champion (LGBT+).

She said: 鈥淎s a University, we embrace diversity and actively opposing and eradicating prejudice is one of our core values.

鈥淚t is heartening to read Ben鈥檚 story and how he is using his experiences to help others.

鈥淭ransgender Awareness Week is an important time to reflect and provide support and I am proud to see 海角直播 stand together in this way.鈥�