Skip to content Skip to footer

Trans Week of Visibility 2022

March 28-31, 2022

Join us for our observance of Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV), where we ask (and hopefully answer) the question, “What does it mean to be trans and visible?” Trans visibility has always been a hot topic in the trans community, and there’s often a tension between those who wish to go stealth and keep their trans status closely guarded and those who welcome being visibly trans.

This year’s Trans Week of Visibility celebration includes conversations, panels, and in-person social events, including a conversation between two trans folks talking about the intersection of faith and trans identity, as well as a spotlight on Black Trans Storytelling. Learn more about the New Haven trans community as we sit down with trans icon and elder Tia Lynn Waters and enjoy the musical stylings of talented local trans musicians at the Trans Music spotlight. You can also check out Trans Body 4, a celebration of trans bodies organized by Elm City Dance Collective, which will be streamed virtually on Facebook and YouTube. Finally, celebrate trans visibility and connect with other trans folks at our TDOV dinner at local LGBTQ+-owned restaurant Blue Orchid Café!

Meet The Program Curator

Finn Lockwood (they/them) 

Thank You to Our Sponsor

Schedule of Events

Trans Body 4

March 28 | 7:30p

After a collaborative month-long creative process the community comes together to explore and celebrate the trans experience. Transgender dancers and non-dancers come together with the artistic directors of Elm City Dance Collective and the New Haven Pride Center to present a special project that was created by and for program participants while exploring the context of transgender identity, history and corporeality. The project asked the questions: How do we embody and perform our own history? How do we tell stories about ourselves through movement? How can we express trans identity through dance?

This program is presented in partnership with Elm City Dance Collective.

Trans Interfaith Talk

March 29 | 1:00p

There has been a lot of controversy within religion and faith towards the trans and queer community. While we know some people use faith for the wrong reasons, we also want to talk about the positives. Join us as we sit down with trans folks of varying faiths to talk further about these spaces and the effect they have on the trans community, whether positive or negative.

This panel features perspectives from Alyssa Marie Cajigas Rivera Ortiz, Revered Aaron Miller, and Lindsey Pasquale. This panel will be moderated by Trans Program Curator Finn Lockwood.

Black Trans Storytelling

March 29 | 7:00p

Black, Trans voices have been known to be underrepresented within the trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming community.

BlackOut, the New Haven Pride Center, and the Yale Office of LGBTQ Resources are excited to present Black Trans Storytelling, a community space for Black trans and gender non-conforming (TGNC) folks to share stories with other Black TGNC folks! We will open with invited storytellers sharing poetry, fiction, (and possibly music) and then hold space for community members to share their own stories in an open-mic style. This event is open to all TGNC community members of African descent only.

This program will feature perspectives from Ro Godwynn, Ty Cooper, and Tia Lynn “Bubblicious” Waters.

Trans Music Spotlight

March 30 | 4:00p 

New Haven has such a diverse community, with so many talents. It is important to highlight local talent, and during TDOV we want to showcase local CT-based trans musicians. Come see the lights, mics, and entertainment that will wow you. This program will take place at Gather, located on State Street.

This program features performances from local trans musicians and entertainers like Erycka, Dyme Ellis, and Alexandra Burnet.

Trans New Haven History

March 30 | 7:00p

New Haven has such a strong history, including a gripping LGBTQ+ history. A lot of folks may not have heard about “Trans New Haven History”, but here is your chance!

This program will be an opportunity to learn more about the trans history of New Haven from trans people themselves! Dive in with us while we sit down with local trans icon and elder, Tia Lynn Waters. This event is open to all members of the Yale and New Haven communities.

This program will be streamed virtually.

Creating Safe Spaces for Trans Youth

March 31 | 1:00p

One of the most often asked question of the community is “how do I make my program / school / home safe for queer / transgender youth?”

Join us for a conversation with transgender and nonbinary youth advocates and transgender and nonbinary youth where we tackle that question. What action can you take as a facilitator to ensure your space is trans-inclusive? What role do you play in preventing bullying and making sure you do not contribute to the issue that may be at hand? What can you do to make sure that every child you work with, especially transgender youth, feel supported and are given every opportunity to thrive?

This program will be in-person at the New Haven Pride Center.

TDOV Meet-up & Trans Night Out

March 31 | 5:30p

COVID-19 has isolated a lot of us, and that can be dangerous, especially for the trans community.

We will be holding an in-person event, starting at the New Haven Pride Center to have a discussion about what TDOV truly means. This will be a conversation will be with the trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming staff of the New Haven Pride Center and the local trans community.

After that, you can join us at Blue Orchid Café for a night of socializing and fun!

Trans ID Clinic

April 27 | 6:00p

Need your name and/or gender marker updated? We got you!

Join us for a review of how to get your name changed and correct your name and/or gender marker on identifying documents, including your driver’s license, birth certificate, social security, and more. After a brief presentation, there will be time to ask questions, get documents notarized, and get connected with support services.

This event is free and open to all transgender, gender non-conforming, and nonbinary Connecticut residents. If you are under 18 years old, you will need to bring a parent or guardian with you to get documents notarized.

This event will take place in-person at the New Haven Pride Center

Meet the Speakers & Artists

Dyme Ellis (they/them)

Dyme Ellis is the Founder and Executive Director of Punq Noire Festival of Underground Arts. Also known as Indigaux, the rapper and experimental music producer, they are a Black, queer, nonbinary artist and organizer from New Haven, CT. Passionate about bringing opportunities and resources to queer artists and artists of color, they are the originator of New Haven Public School’s first high school anime club and a former Public Ally. Dyme is driven by an internal mission to foster and stimulate Connecticut’s colorful communities through creative, eventful experiences. December 2019, Dyme Ellis organized a pop up fashion show at Yale Architecture Gallery. August 2020, Dyme Ellis organized Black Art Matters/Black Art is Resistance (BAM/BAR) at Artspace. Each of these events entirely featured diverse artists from Connecticut. In 2021, Dyme Ellis decided to develop their skills as an arts administrator, and gained experience as an assistant at Arts Council of Greater New Haven. Motivated by a path of continuous self-education, Dyme continues to exercise and enhance their skills. Dyme Ellis is currently a cohort of The Pride Network’s Transformational Leadership Initiative, undergoing heart-centered leadership training, receiving a social impact grant, and experiencing the mentorship of elder queer Luke Blankenship, former Executive Director of Florida’s largest nonprofit LGBTQ Pride organization. Dyme Ellis is excited to present Punq Noire Festival of Underground Arts, a manifestation of their passion, love for, and dedication to Connecticut’s rich and eccentric artist communities.

Erycka (she/her)

Erycka, the experimental pop singer-songwriter is a force to be reckoned with, despite starting her music career only 3 years ago. Since 2018, Erycka has performed on many stages including headlining New London’s Pride festival twice. Erycka organized her own tour in 2019 which included shows in Bridgeport, New Haven, and locations in New London such as Cultured Studios. She is also a community organizer, activist, poet, and this year’s Keynote speaker and performer for New Haven’s LGBTQ+ Youth Conference.

Lindsey Pembrooke Pasquale (she/they)

Lindsey Pasquale, Board Secretary, joined the Board in 2018 and helps coordinate the Transgender Adult Support Group at the Pride Center. They are a trained facilitator and Board Treasurer at Hartford PFLAG, and named as Northeast Regional Director by PFLAG National in 2021. Lindsey has curated many large non-binary spaces on Facebook and is the creator of “Older and Non-Binary.” She has paneled as Guest Faculty for the Yale Internal Medicine residency program on the intersection of medicine and transgender identities since 2018. They have worked on magazine articles including “Coming Out”, aimed at parents of LGBTQ+ youth, and presented workshops including “We Are All Genderfluid: These and Other Myths About Non-Binary People.” Lindsey took part in Facebook@Stonewall at the Stonewall Inn as a panelist as part of the 50th Anniversary, to speak about about building meaningful communities on Facebook and reflect on its impact on LGBTQIA+ activism. Lindsey has moderated/participated in numerous panels for the Center on topics including transgender athletes, non-binary identities, community, and faith. They have a BS in Marketing and an MBA in Finance and currently work as a consultant in the Insurance Software Industry.

Alyssa Marie Cajigas Rivera Ortiz (she/her)

Alyssa is the Director of Organizing for the Citywide Youth Coalition Inc. Alyssa is a Strategy Council Member for the Perrin Family Foundation. She has also previously interned for PPSNE, with whom she successfully launched the state’s first queer camp specifically for youth of color. For Alyssa , the camp is more than just a program, it’s providing a space she always wished to have offered to her. Alyssa has been a community organizer for the past seven years she has worked on issues like LGBTQ+ rights, juvenile justice reform and the miseducation of our education system, among many other issues. Alyssa is a true organizer and leader in the state of Connecticut who exudes the spirit of a new generation of youth who are politically conscious and personally committed to improving the community for the better.

Ro Godwynn (they/she)
Ro Godwynn is a musician, activist, thinker and sonic healer local to New Haven, CT. Since the start of their artistic journey in 2017, Godwynn has been using her music to metabolize information about an ever-changing world, encouraging her listeners to do the same. To this day, she invites us to engage with concepts such as queerness, fate, the self, and spirituality through her art.
Tia Lynn "Bubblicious" Waters (she/her)

Tia Lynn “Bubblicious” Waters has been performing for over 30 years – taking on stages in Connecticut, New York, and Europe. “Bubblicious,” or “Bubbles” as her friends call her, was one of the founding queens of the New Haven drag scene and has performed in every LGBTQ+ venue throughout New Haven. As an visual artist, Tia tells stories through her art.

An out and proud black transgender woman, Bubbles dedicates time and energy to bring awareness, support, and visibility to black and brown trans folk through performance and activism.