A photo of Brianna that accompanys the exhibit Pioneering Voices
SOUTHFIELD – A new exhibit from the creators of "Love Makes a Family" is coming to the Northwest Unitarian Universalist Church in Southfield. "Pioneering Voices," a museum-quality traveling exhibit featuring photographs and interviews with transgender persons of all ages, as well as with their partners and children, will be on display for the entire month of October.
Through first-person accounts and positive images, Pioneering Voices seeks to challenge damaging myths and stereotypes about the transgender community and to educate people about this marginalized and often invisible group of people. The exhibit explores the many aspects of gender identity and variance by sharing important, groundbreaking stories and celebrates a range of views, opinions and experiences that are unique and empowering to transgender people everywhere.
The exhibit is coming to the church thanks to its minister, Kimi Riegel.
"I knew about the organization, Family Diversity Projects, from the 1990s when the church I was working with at the time hosted their very first display, Love Makes a Family," said Riegel. "So I've known about them for years. I just happened to check and found they had this new display."
Northwest UU is presenting the exhibit as part of a month-long theme at the church.
"We do theme months, sometimes two or three times a year, and I wanted to do a theme month on gender," Riegel said. "The issues of the transgender community are so hidden that it seemed to me that having personal stories and pictures was one of the better ways of educating and helping people to have some empathy."
The photo-text exhibit consists of 15 framed photographs and accompanying text panels. It was created by Smith College intern Jack Pierson, who took the photographs and interviewed the individuals.
"I hope that it develops some awareness," Riegel said of the exhibit. "We have a culture that reinforces gender as a binary and this is oppressive to all of us, but especially to people who don't fit into that binary. I hope the exhibit will develop empathy and foster partnerships between Unitarian Universalists and advocacy organizations like Transgender Michigan and Affirmations.
"Building community connections is also something that happens when you do something like this," Riegel continued. "And that's great."
So far, it looks like Riegel's plan is working.
"I think what the church is doing is awesome," said Michelle Fox-Phillips, executive director of Transgender Detroit. "I think what they are doing as an ally is really immense."
Rachel Crandall, executive director of Transgender Michigan, agreed.
"I am so excited that this one-of-a-kind exhibit is coming to the Detroit area," Crandall said. "It will educate people about the transgender community in a way they have never been educated before. I think it will get people to understand how much we all have in common."
The exhibit will be open to the public on Wednesdays from 7 – 9 p.m. and Sundays from 1 – 4 p.m. throughout the month of October. There will also be an open house and community reception for the exhibit at 6 p.m. on Oct. 10 at Northwest UU, located at 23925 Northwestern Hwy. in Southfield. For further information on the exhibit, visit http://www.familydiv.org/exhibits/pioneering-voices.
