To mark the end of both Queer History Month and Trans Awareness Week, queer artist and athlete Kye Allums is set to speak on Thursday, Oct. 30, 7 to 9 p.m. in Thompson Hall Room W101. Allums is the first black transgender man in sports history to play openly as an athlete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Fredonia students, faculty, staff and community members are welcome to hear Allums’ story and how he engages in both the larger social justice movement and the battle for trans inclusivity. His work as a transgender advocate, public speaker and mentor to LGBTQ youth has even been recognized by Time magazine, naming Allums as one of this year’s “21 transgender people who influenced American culture.”
Born a woman, Allums grew up feeling like a man, resonating more strongly with the male gender. In his freshman year at George Washington University, he concluded that, despite being biologically female, he was transgender. With the support of his coaches and teammates, Allums was a transgender man, playing on a women’s basketball team.
The event is organized by Fredonia’s Pride Alliance with the help of the school’s Center for Multicultural Affairs, Black Student Union, Student Affairs and the department of Interdisciplinary Studies.
