Navigating Trans Invisibility and Hypervisibility on Canadian University Campuses

Date: Wednesday, March 25, noon to 1:30 p.m.

Location: Weldon Community Room (Room 128), D.B. Weldon Library

What does it mean to live a ‘visibly trans’ life on campus? And where does invisibility end, and hyper visibility begin? Join Malcolm Macdonald and the Office of EDI to explore these questions, and learn about some of the barriers trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and Two-Spirit students face on university campuses in Canada.

Through stories of connection, resilience, and community-building, Malcolm will reflect on how being openly “out,” both personally and professionally, can challenge institutional norms and create pathways for others. His work will highlight the importance of visibility, peer networks, and structural change in ensuring that 2SLGBTQIA+ students feel less isolated and more supported.

This event invites students, faculty, staff and community members to engage in meaningful dialogue about trans inclusion, educational equity, and the collective responsibility we share in building campuses where everyone belongs.

Please let us know if you require any accomodations for this event. We look foward to seeing you there!

Malcom Macdonald

Malcolm Macdonald (he/him) is a trans PhD student and researcher working in the Faculty of Education at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. His current doctoral research centers the experiences of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) university students, and the role EDI professionals play in facilitating trans-inclusion on Canadian university campuses. He has co-authored journal articles and book chapters discussing trans-inclusion in education, as well as the political precarity of doing trans-inclusive work in academia. Since 2023, he has been a research assistant for the SSHRC funded research study entitled: Supporting transgender students and transgender affirmative education in a context of resurgent anti-trans backlash and far-right extremism (435-2023-0138), alongside the Principal Investigator, Dr. Wayne Martino.