The Columbia Queer Alliance host the “Where is the ‘T’ in Media” panel discussion last Wednesday to raise awareness about important transgender issues.

“Every month is an awareness month for something, and October is Queer Awareness Month,” Columbia Queer Alliance Vice President Claire Duvallet said. “It’s very important to get the message out in a forceful way.”

Ashley Love, an organizer for Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Transsexual and Transgender Community (MAGNET), offered some tips on how you can spread LGBT equality.

“What you can do as a college student to help the transsexual, transgender, and intersex communities is [you can inspire] more LGBT unity in your classroom,” Love said. “If you hear your professor or teacher refer to a trans person as gay, you can remind them that gender identity, birth challenges, and sexual orientation are not the same thing. You can also educate yourself; you can read Transgender Warriors, you can read The Whipping Girl. You can just be a friend to everyone.”

Information about future Queer Awareness Month events can be found on the Columbia Queer Alliance website.