Lecture celebrates transgender experience

When universities ask author and performer Bear Bergman to speak about transgender issues, they usually expect a story of hardships and tragedy.

But Tuesday night, Bergman gave a lecture that celebrated, rather than pitied, the experience of being transgendered.

“Are there bad things? Of course there are,” Bergman said. “But part of what I’m here to say is we do not have to be defined by the bad things. We can choose to create and tell another story about being trans. Let’s make our triumphs more powerful than our tragedies.”

Bergman’s lecture, titled “Sing if You’re Glad to be Trans!” was hosted by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Center. About 30 students and members of the community attended.

“It’s a great opportunity to serve both students who have already put a lot of thought into gender expression and identity, and those who haven’t,” said Maggie Carlin, a first-year graduate student who worked with LGBTQ for the event. “We like to challenge the gender binary.”

Bergman’s lecture focused on the communities, awareness, successes and sex of transgendered individuals.

The speech was an excerpt from Bergman’s book, “The Nearest Exit May be Behind You.” Bergman encouraged audience members to take pride in their journey and share it with others.

“Pride serves us better as individuals,” Bergman said. “How healthy can it possibly be to continue to rehearse our hard stories and our shameful stories?”

Bergman also said lectures at universities are important for students.

“I think all opportunities to gain great understanding and therefore empathy with people you might not encounter or know you are encountering are valuable,” Bergman said.

“It’s a big world students are released into after graduation. It’s miraculously diverse and highly advantageous for people to know what people they interact with.”



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.