This past week, the Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity held its sixth annual Trans Week of Visibility. The center’s mission, however, extends beyond the week and offers resources year-round.
Proceeds from Friday’s silent auction will go towards mini-grants for gender-affirming products. Michelle Cisneros / Daily Nexus
From April 21-25, the Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity (RCSGD), in collaboration with other departments, held events to shed light on resources available to trans students. First held in 2019, the program is meant to be an extension of the annual and international Trans Day of Visibility on March 31.
“We shouldn’t just get one day, right? We should at least get a week, but we wanted to expand what it meant to be visible on this campus,” RCSGD Director of LGBT Resources Quinn Rioz said.
According to Rioz, although approximately 2% of the UC Santa Barbara student population identifies as trans, this number may be higher since it’s based on self-identification. Rioz said that highlighting the trans community on campus is especially pertinent this year due to the Trump administration’s continuous executive orders concerning the LGBTQIA+ community.
“It’s a population that we really did want to highlight, especially right now with this very anti-LGBTQIA+, particularly anti-trans climate,” Rioz said.
Events spanned various fields, including a “Queerness in Nature & Society” lecture from doctoral candidate Kris Troy, a crafting hour and informational sessions. Speaking on the range of events, Rioz said the center aimed to create a “balance” between logistical events and community-building.
Medical and legal resources
On Tuesday, there was a workshop on creating a trans wellness action plan with local therapists and psychologists alongside a support group. The Thursday Legal Name & Gender Change workshop informed students of the process and a possible fee waiver.
Although these sessions have passed, the center hosts drop-in hours for academic advising, student support, health, Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) and housing aid throughout the week. In addition, Rioz said that students can contact the Office of the Registrar to change their name on their diplomas.
RCSGD Health Equity Advocate Buster Buchanan is available to provide support in navigating pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), medications for HIV prevention and treatment, respectively.
Accessibility to gender-affirming products
The gender-affirming product showcase highlighted the 80+ items available in the Gender Product Library located in the RCSGD. Items include binders, wigs, packers and more.
“Students can pick up and touch and try on right to see if that really validates who they are and makes them, you know, feel authentic,” Rioz said.
Students can book a session to look at items before purchasing. This can be helpful as many of these products are primarily available online. Mini grants are also available for students to purchase these products. Proceeds from Friday’s silent auction will go towards these grants.
Community-building
Monday’s gardening night, Tuesday’s potluck and Thursday’s crafting hour offered community members a chance to come together and form connections, according to Rioz. Events such as these are hosted throughout the year.
“I think joy and community care and rest can be strong forms of resistance and resilience,” Rioz said.
Additional resources
Roughly 16 departments came together at Friday’s resource fair to share what they offered trans students. These included the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), the MultiCultural Center (MCC) and more.
More resources can be found on RCSGD’s Trans@UCSB resource guide, which contains more information about what is available to students.
Rioz said that being the director of the center is their “dream job” and that they are available to discuss resources further.
“When I became much more confident in who I was as a queer and trans Latina person, and that intersection, of my multiple identities, my salient identities, I really wanted to give back to my community,” they said. “I really love doing this work. It’s just to be able to be in a position of power to empower others.”
A version of this article appeared on p. 6 of the May 1, 2025 edition of the Daily Nexus.
