Jamie Toomey 

Over the summer, I saw Andrea Gibson perform at the Sunken Garden at the Hillstead Museum. They are transgender poet, and I was inspired to create a short film with original poetry. It was very empowering to hear such passionate words from someone who has had the same experiences as me, and I wanted to create something like that. I got to meet them afterwards, too! I wrote a couple poems about my transgender experience, but this one lent itself to film particularly well. Along with the theme of my Global Studies Evening talk, I wanted to dispel some beliefs about transgender people. I did this in a more artistic sense, but the sentiment is the same. I want to express to cisgender people that being trans is more than an identity, and it isn't easy. I hear cis people say that we aren't any different, but I want to express that we've had different experiences, and it's okay that we don't entirely understand each other. 

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I've worked with film before, so putting this together was not too difficult. I found the writing to be the hardest part. I wish it were longer, but while I was finishing the poem I couldn't think of anything else to say. I didn't want to force more words that weren't genuine just for length. Overall, I'm proud of how it came out and I hope it conveys my point. It was cathartic to make, as all art is, and I enjoyed creating a personal piece that will hopefully educate anyone who watches it.