On Thursday, March 28, members of Boulder-based Motus Theater performed for lawmakers at the State Capitol. It was part of the TRANSformative Stories project that shares the personal stories of transgender and nonbinary people.
Cristian Solano-Córdova with Motus says these stories need to be told as people are very afraid.
"Last year and this year we have a historic number of anti-trans and anti-nonbinary legislation across the country, it's a huge uptick from prior years. The problem isn't just the legislation, it's the rhetoric that accompanies it that really enables people to dehumanize transgender and nonbinary folks," said Solano-Córdova.
“There’s all these kinds of conspiracy theories around trans people and their motivations for wanting to live a genuine life. (These theories) impact so many, but it dissipates in our culture.”
Solano-Córdova believes that Colorado is a refuge for a lot of people, especially people from neighboring states.
“A lot of families are moving into Colorado seeking freedom for their kids and themselves to be able to be who they truly are,” explained Solano-Córdova.
In years past, some Republicans in the Colorado General Assembly have introduced bills that target the transgender and nonbinary communities. Last year there a bill was introduced that would ban transgender athletes from competing.
“Thankfully it was killed in the legislature. But there are some attempts at ballot measures in the November election,” Solano-Córdova said.
By bringing the performance to legislators at the State Capitol, Motus hopes to make lawmakers understand why these policies are so harmful.
The performance, ahead of Trans Day of Visibility which takes place on March 31, was hosted by Colorado's first transgender legislator, Representative Brianna Titone. Trans Day of Visibility is a day to celebrate the strength of trans and nonbinary people.
“We're excited to have legislators and the community alike to listen to these stories about finding one's true self, about finding your humanity and being your own best friend. They're about the challenges that trans people face but also about finding liberation within themselves and in the community,” explained Solano-Córdova.
One of the monologues was performed by Dr. Morgan Henry Seamont, the director of the PRIDE office at CU Boulder. His story is entitled Catch and in it he reflects on the overwhelming pain he experienced growing up in a small town without gender-affirming care, and encourages us to support trans youth so they don't suffer the way that he did.
Another monologue is by Ruby Lopez. Her story is called Surprise, It's a Girl. Considering taking her own life at age 22, Lopez, with the support of her community, transforms a potential death story into a birth story and comes to love the beautiful woman that she is.
“Putting it in this autobiographical monologue format will hopefully go a long way. There's some pain in these stories, but there's also a lot of love, a lot of self-discovery and self-empowerment,” explained Solano-Córdova.
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This story was shared with us via Rocky Mountain Community Radio, a network of public media stations in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico, including KDNK.