CSUF “Stand Your Ground” rally promotes rights for transgender individuals and other marginalized communities

Daily Titan

Students gathered in the Humanities-Social Sciences courtyard Wednesday for a rally promoting fundamental human rights for transgender and minority communities.
Guest speaker Kelly Lepley said she has been involved in the trans community for about four years and credited the TED Talk she gave two years ago for helping her push her own limits.
“I don’t do this by trade. I’m an airline pilot, I fly planes, so this is completely different from what I am trained to do and I find it a great joy to go out and encourage other people,” Lepley said.
She said she hopes speaking out publicly will help encourage students to live their life to the fullest and for themselves instead of society.
Lepley and other speakers participated in a “Stand Your Ground Rally,” which talked about the rights of groups such including women, LGBTQ, immigrant and communities of color in the face of the new presidential administration.
CSUF adjunct history professor Jennifer B. Thompson introduced speakers with Errol Mcinnes, the founder of the Trans Inclusive Moderate Empathetic (TIME) movement, who came from Phoenix to help with the rally.
Thompson spoke to the university March 12, 2015 about transitioning. She said it was a very “unusual situation” to come out. Thompson said by fall 2017, she will finally be “living as her authentic self.”
“Ignorance is not the route we should be taking right now. It’s just not. We need to turn this around,” Thompson said. She said the country needs to build a diverse, inclusive, grassroots intersectional movement.
Thompson thanked President Mildred Garcia’s for her support and said she is proud of the LGBTQ Center, WoMen’s & Adult Reentry Center, Disability Support Services and classes provided for students in the humanities department.
Third-year illustration major Valerie Herrera said she stopped to listen to the rally speakers because her class let out earlier ...

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