University Forum, a premier speaker series at Southern Miss, welcomed prominent transgender activist and content creator Kat Blaque as the keynote speaker for its first event this semester. Blaque addressed an audience of over 200 students, faculty, and community members in the Bennett Auditorium on Tuesday, Feb. 6th.
Blaque spoke passionately about her experiences as a black transgender woman navigating life’s intricacies while advocating tirelessly for transgender rights and representation. She engaged the crowd for over an hour, tackling topics related to trans issues, healthcare barriers, societal discrimination, mental health struggles, empowerment, and self-acceptance.
“Kat drew the audience’s and ultimately my attention to the issues the queer community faces,” said USM sophomore Madison Hill after the keynote address. “I learned a lot and I hope to be a better ally. She is an inspiration to many. I think it is incredibly inspiring to hear about her experiences and growth as she allows herself to be so honest with us.”
The first segment of the event was a one-on-one question asked by the host. Later, the floor was opened for anyone in the audience to ask questions. During her emotional yet humorous speech, Blaque stressed the importance of intersectionality in modern activism and understanding the layers of discrimination transgender people of color often encounter in society. She shared personal stories of both adversity and triumph on her journey as an outspoken trans woman, from dealing with rejection from family to finding her voice through content creation, ultimately after getting online hate for years. Her transparency and authenticity resonated with the college audience. Her connection to the audience was especially highlighted by the audience’s enthusiasm to ask her questions.
In addition to delivering the talk, Blaque led an intimate light dinner at the Honor House that went on to be a huge success. This allowed the audience to connect with Blaque informally.
“One of the things I really appreciated about my high school English teacher is that he would allow me to write names I wanted to go by,” said Blaque. “As long as I did my assignment, he didn’t really care and he always knew it was me. It was so important in those moments for me to do that and then I took every opportunity to write any queer thing I could ever write. I appreciate that a lot because I grew up religious.”
After her appearances, Blaque took pictures with fans and signed autographs well into the night. A long line formed with students and faculty members waiting patiently to meet her.
As Southern Miss’ first forum for the semester many credit Blaque’s inspirational visit as the catalyst to open more minds, increase empathy on campus, and offer support to trans youth. In Mississippi, anti-LGBTQ bills are widely being passed. For a community that often feels marginalized and misunderstood, the reputation and influence someone like Kat Blaque brings gives them hope for a brighter, more accepting future.
