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Bournemouth University event aims to 'normalise trans lives'
(www.bbc.co.uk)
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University hosts pioneering trans+ research event
A university will host a free pioneering gathering of trans+ researchers on Thursday.
Bournemouth University will host a hybrid conference organised by trans+ charity Beyond Reflections, aiming to unite researchers across disciplines including healthcare, science, cultural studies, and the arts.
It comes just weeks after the Supreme Court ruling that the definition of a woman in the Equality Act should be based on biological sex.
Charity CEO Gillian Russell said they wanted the event to be "a beacon of hope for the trans community".
She said researchers of different stages would be presenting their work, as well as looking to collaborate and share data and feedback.
"We wanted to create a foundation for really good, qualitative, trusted trans research," she added.
"At the moment, when research is taking place, trans voices are not heard, so we wanted to create a place where that is possible."
[Ms Russell, corrected] said they had chosen to host the conference at Bournemouth University, which which they had had "ongoing relationships for many years".
Topics would include facial feminisation and facial masculinisation surgeries, the non-binary experiences and transgender representation in film.
"It's sort of a cultural thing to see trans people as villains all the time, especially in the horror world, so we've got someone coming in from the [United States] to talk about how trans horror is moving.
"We will also talk about what we call gender euphoria - the hope for the future, the way that gender can be a liberating and enhancing experience".
Ms Russell said trans healthcare would also be explored and "how the community gets though the various political and health challenges".
"I think we exist at the moment in a sort of environment which is quite negative for trans people," she added.
"We want this to be a bit of a beacon of hope and light to the trans community, showing that the vast majority of trans people just want to get on with their lives, they want to be students researchers, going to conferences, sharing practise, sharing experience.
She said one would need to be an ally or a researcher of the trans world to benefit from the conference.
Ms Russell said the event, which was planned last year, was "not political" and the trans people attending were "the victims" of the legislation.
"Their job is showing that we are normalising trans lives as trans lives have been for the last thousands of years and people are just getting on living their lives."