One of the objects from the Special Collections that we visited during our last class that I found most interesting was the dairy entries from a previous student at the University of Rochester. In his diary entries, this student described his interactions with transgender individuals in the Rochester community. I think that the inclusion of this specific object in a public exhibit would be important because it may help show transgender experiences in the time frame that the diary was written, the late 1970’s to the early 1980’s. The diary also does a good job at showing the authors progression to meeting a transgender individual for the first time to learning more about transgender issues and attending and facilitating transgender forums at the University of Rochester. The author talked about specific transgender experiences such as an individual transitioning after marriage and what came along with the transition, in this case divorce. While these experiences are not told by a transgender individual, I still think it shows transgender experiences at the time.
I think that throughout the LGBTQ movement, the movement has mainly been focused on white gay men rather than minorities or even individuals that identify as bisexual, transgender, gender queer, pansexual, etc. I think that this is displayed in both the policies that the LGBTQ movement has fought for an media representation of LGBTQ issues. For example, a big focus in LGBTQ policies has been in winning the fight for gay marriage. Meanwhile, minority members of the LGBTQ community have been fighting for simple rights such as the right to use the bathroom of their identified gender. Minority communities also face systematic racism which, with the possible stigma LGBTQ members may face, just makes it that much harder for individuals. Inclusion and representation is important for minorities in LGBTQ communities because it allows people who identify with those represented feel less alone and have a role model to look to.