Recognized annually on March 31, Transgender Day of Visibility is dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of the discrimination faced by trans people worldwide.
The Transgender Pride Flag flies at the Welland Campus on March 31
Niagara College marked the day by raising the Transgender Pride Flag on campus for the first time. Flags will fly all day on Mar. 31.
Created by American trans woman Monica Helms in 1999, the flag features a five-striped design that symbolizes pride and inclusivity for the transgender community. It incorporates light blue and pink stripes, representing the traditional colours for baby boys and baby girls, and a white stripe for those who are intersex, transitioning or consider themselves to have a neutral or undefined gender.
The College has honoured Transgender Day of Visibility in recent years through a fireside chat with students and a panel presentation featuring local organizations.
This year on March 25, a screening of the 2024 film Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story was hosted in partnership with NC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Libraries and Learning Commons and Community Relations and Events.
The captivating documentary tells the story of trans soul singer Jackie Shane, a lost R&B star who eclipsed Etta James and Little Richard and who blazed an extraordinary trail with an unbreakable commitment to her truth.
The Toronto-based singer from Nashville performed on the Yonge Street strip in the 1960s with performances that were unapologetic and authentic. With her hit “Any Other Way,” Shane was an originator of the local R&B music scene known as the Toronto Sound and became a queer icon in the city and beyond. (Source: Historica Canada. Watch video: Heritage Minutes: Jackie Shane).
Following the screening, students and employees had the opportunity to reflect on and discuss the documentary.
Some participants who learned of Shane for the first time explained that they were excited to share her music and story with their family and friends. Others highlighted how the film honours Shane’s story in her own words by including audio of telephone conversations that she had with the film’s director a year prior to her death in 2019. The conversations, paired with the autobiography read throughout the film, illustrate the racism and transphobia experienced by Shane as a Black trans woman in the 1960s.
Participants also shared the impact of the singer’s courageousness in staying true to her convictions. Shane turned down opportunities to perform on some of the most popular television shows at the time, including the Ed Sullivan Show – the show would not allow Shane to wear makeup – and American Bandstand – it segregated its audience.
Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story is available to students and employees through the NC Libraries and Learning Commons. To watch, visit the Library’s Special Collections page. Many resources curated by the Library on Transgender Day of Visibility are also available.
