CUNY recognizing ‘Transgender Day of Remembrance,’ with keynote speaker from Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration
The event will be on Thursday, November 21.
Chanel Lopez is the Deputy Director of LGBTQ+ Affairs for New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
The City University of New York is organizing a “Transgender Day of Remembrance” later this month. Chanel Lopez, Deputy Director of LGBTQ+ Affairs for Governor Kathy Hochul, will give the keynote address.
The Thursday, November 21 event will also include a student panel discussion and an art and poetry presentation. Many colleges and universities celebrate a “Transgender Day of Remembrance” around this time of the year. This is the third year CUNY has recognized the day, which is described as a “vigil.”
[RELATED: Colleges to celebrate ‘Transgender Visibility Day’ on Easter Sunday]
“This is a day to both uplift our community and remember and honor those whose lives were lost as a result of anti-transgender bigotry and violence, especially for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming folks of color,” the CUNY LGBTQI+ Council said in an Instagram post last week.
The student panel discussion, which will occur before Chanel Lopez’s speech, will feature “transgender and non-binary leaders” from CUNY schools.
Lopez identifies as a transgender woman, that is, a biological man. In addition to working for Governor Hochul’s administration, Lopez has a profile on Trans Equity Consulting.
The organization’s page says that its “work is committed to building the leadership of trans women of color, and to the centering of sex workers, immigrants and incarcerated peoples as experts in creating a more just world.”
Lopez’s page on Trans Equity Consulting introduces Lopez as an activist for LGBTQ causes. “An advocate and activist for the transgender / gender non-conforming community for the past 14 years, she has done plus size modeling as well as some acting,” the bio says.
The CUNY LGBTQI Council is a city-wide initiative of faculty and staff members. “Our mission is to ensure the visibility and inclusion of the entire spectrum of LGBTQI+ students, faculty and staff,” the institution’s page says. “We aim to be a collaborative resource to create connection and community, identify and troubleshoot gaps, increase representation, awareness, and equity.”
Other universities that recognize “Transgender Day of Remembrance” are Colorado State University, Ohio State University, Princeton University, and the University of Missouri.
Campus Reform contacted the City University of New York, the CUNY LGBTQI+ Council, and the CUNY LGBTQIA+ Consortium for comment. This story will be updated accordingly.
