Students Talk Transgender Issues

Men and women gathered Tuesday at the Women's Center to discuss issues surrounding transgendered people and their role in "The Vagina Monologues," as part of V-Week.

The event, sponsored by Spectrum, centered on topics including stereotypes, job discrimination, gender identity, sexual violence and gender re-assignment surgery.

Because some sensitive topics were discussed, a box was passed around for participants to write anonymous questions throughout the meeting.

Career Services employee and Lehigh alumna Chris Diggs, '07, said she thought this was an important discussion to have at Lehigh.

"I am glad that we have this discussion as part of V-Week because I feel like we don't talk about this enough in general, and especially at Lehigh," she said.

Diggs has been involved with "The Vagina Monologues" at Lehigh for five years.

She directed the production in 2005, which was the first year the transgender monologue was added to the Lehigh performance.

Men and women gathered Tuesday at the Women's Center to discuss issues surrounding transgendered people and their role in "The Vagina Monologues," as part of V-Week.

The event, sponsored by Spectrum, centered on topics including stereotypes, job discrimination, gender identity, sexual violence and gender re-assignment surgery.

Because some sensitive topics were discussed, a box was passed around for participants to write anonymous questions throughout the meeting.

Career Services employee and Lehigh alumna Chris Diggs, '07, said she thought this was an important discussion to have at Lehigh.

"I am glad that we have this discussion as part of V-Week because I feel like we don't talk about this enough in general, and especially at Lehigh," she said.

Diggs has been involved with "The Vagina Monologues" at Lehigh for five years.

She directed the production in 2005, which was the first year the transgender monologue was added to the Lehigh performance.

The transgender monologue was written by Eve Ensler, author and creator of "The Vagina Monologues." She added it to the program in 2004.

It is largely based on five stories of transgender women, male to female, ranging in age from early 20s to late 50s. The monologue begins with the moment when a male or female realizes that he or she was born into the wrong body.

It continues through the physical transition of becoming the opposite gender.

The monologue also touches on the issue of sexual violence associated with being transgendered, as well as the joys in discovering one's true gender identity.

Chelsea Crisafulli, '09, will perform the transgender monologue in this weekend's performance. She said she thought the timing for this monologue is just right.

"This is a good year for this to be performed, especially because it [being transgendered] is in the media so much right now, like the pregnant man, Thomas Beatie, and the transgender cast member from 'The Real World,'" Crisafulli said.

This monologue and the discussion were held in the hopes of raising awareness among the campus community and uncovering new topics that are not usually addressed or discussed around Lehigh.

"This is a really good discussion if you want an outlet to find out new information on a topic that I think there is a lack of focus on," Crisafulli said.

The discussion was one of many events kicking off V-Week, which will culminate with "The Vagina Monologues" performance on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. in Packard Auditorium.

Another V-Week event was a Teach-In discussion held Wednesday about the treatment of women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with anthropology professor Bruce Whitehouse.

This topic is the 2009 spotlight campaign of "The Vagina Monologues."

By bringing "The Vagina Monologues" to Lehigh and implementing V-Week around campus, the university, faculty and students are making a point to raise awareness about vital gender issues.

Rita Jones, director of the Women's Center, said she thought it is the passion and dedication of Lehigh students that makes "The Vagina Monologues" and V-Week such important events on campus.

"Lehigh University has a very active, engaged and committed group of women and men who are driven to see an end to violence against women," Jones said. "As a result, 'The Vagina Monologues' remain important to the campus."