Surgeon cuts to main point of transgender issues

Dr. Marci Bowers is a renowned doctor in many fields, including obstetrics and general gynecology, but is most known for her work in transgender surgery in Trinidad.
Transgender surgery and her experience of being transgender was the focus of her presentation and speech Monday in the University Center Ballrooms.

A multitude of topics were covered, including basics on how the surgery is done, the standards of the procedure and what it is like to become transgender and dealing with those feelings. In addition, she discussed the idea of love and how it really transcends gender, contrary to what she said a lot of people believe.

The general response from the audience was positive; overall, students said they agreed it was important to open people's minds to the subjects discussed.

"There is a large community on campus that indentify with transgender," said Danica Rodriguez, a freshman biomedical major. "It isn't necessarily talked about, and I think it helps the campus become more aware."

Bowers put emphasis on the idea that these issues need to be talked about. She said how feeling different — feeling you are really a different gender or being attracted to the same sex — has always been looked at as something to be guilty of; however, she said she believes that this is changing.

"I think people want to know honesty; they want to be clear," Bowers said. "There was so much guilt we put on a whole generation and the generations before, really. This generation is really breaking free of that, I think."

Samantha Husted, a sophomore philosophy major, said she thinks bringing Bowers to the university was a good idea.

"It's definitely important to open people's minds to this kind of stuff," Husted said. "A lot of people think with strict lines, and this helps blur those lines. She's a very progressive, successful, rational person."

The event was set up by several organizations on campus: Housing and Residence Life, the Office of Student Activities, The National Residence Hall Honorary, the Women's Resource Center, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Allies Resource Office, The Department of Women's Studies and the Department of Honors Scholars and Leaders all contributed.

"I thought it would be a perfect opportunity, and she lives in the state, so I just thought it would be really easy to bring her up to Greeley from Trinidad," said Daniel Sanchez, a sociology graduate student who helped bring Bowers to UNC. 

Sanchez said he was pleased with the outcome of the event, and the message it brought to campus.

"I think there are a lot of issues in the GLBT community that need to be talked about, especially with what's going on in the government system right now," he said. "I think it's good we got a lot of students here."