qtPhDs newsletter: Mar 2022
Hello all!
We hope you have stayed healthy and cozy this Winter season. We are thrilled to see the drop in Covid-19 cases and the relaxation of rules for in-person meetings at MIT. This March we are returning to our regularly programmed Coffee and After-work Meetups!
Before getting into the many events planned for this March, we want to offer a few links for those who want to learn more or get involved in protesting the invasion of Ukraine: a candlelight rally tonight March 3rd on campus from 7:30-9pm, a compilation of resources from a group of Ukrainians here at MIT and in the Boston area, and a story highlighting the experiences of trans people in Ukraine stranded because of incorrect documents.
Coffee and After-work Meetups:
qtPhDs hosts coffee hours on the 1st Monday of each month and after-work meetups on the 3rd Thursday of every month. We will be hosting March’s coffee hour on Monday, March 7th at 2 pm. We will meet at the Rainbow Lounge (50-250) to stay warm and provide tea, coffee, and snacks. Please RSVP here for contact tracing purposes and see here for instructions on how to find the Rainbow Lounge.
We will be hosting an after-work meetup on Thursday, March 24th at 6 pm. Our location is TBD but stay tuned for our destination and an RSVP form.
Spring Community Mixer: qtPhDs has been invited to join a mixer event at the Rainbow Lounge with graduate and undergrad LGBTQIA+ groups! Here is the invitation, we hope to see you there!:
“We're excited to host our spring community mixer! Join us and get to know our amazing student organizations! This is a great time to make connections and get involved! Dinner will be provided.”
Location: Rainbow Lounge 50-250, on Friday, March 11, 5-7pm
Trans Day of Visibility: Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) takes place on March 31st each year to celebrate trans and non-binary people and raise awareness of discrimination faced by trans people worldwide. This year, LBGTQ+ services is organizing two panels on Thursday, March 31st, to celebrate the day:
4-5pm: a panel discussion centering the voices of trans and non-binary MIT community members. Sit with staff/faculty and have dinner provided.
5:30-6:30pm: a panel of trans and non-binary MIT alums and friends on navigating careers in STEM and business while being gender diverse.
These events will take place in the Rainbow Lounge (50-250), all are welcome to attend!
In Celebration of Women’s History Month, please find attached the schedule for Women and Gender Services (WXGS) many events planned for this month.
Other events: Save the date for the Wicked Queer Film Festival, April 7-17 at the Brattle Theater in Harvard Square.
Questions? Comments? Thoughts? We’re always happy to hear from you at qtphds-admin@mit.edu (or at our personal emails!).
In Solidarity,
Senén and Rachel
*Each month we will be featuring a different pride flag in our logo! Our flag of the month is the Transgender Pride Flag, which was created by Monica Helms in 2014. Monica chose the light blue and light pink stripes in reference to the traditional colors for baby boys and girls, respectively. The white stripe was chosen to represent people who “are transitioning” or whose gender falls outside the gender binary.
Trans rights are under accelerating and escalating attacks nationally. The most egregious example is Texas governor Greg Abbott’s and Texas attorney general Ken Paxton’s direction of Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate and treat gender-affirming medical care of trans minors as child abuse. Texas DFPS has begun persecuting families of trans youth with the threat of taking them from their homes. While a judge has temporarily blocked this sadistic policy, the forthcoming legal battles around this particular policy and many others threaten to ruin, and possibly end, trans lives. Now more than ever, we implore you to decry these atrocities, donate to legal funds, donate directly to impacted communities, and do all else you can in defense of trans youth.