By MACKENZIE ROGER

Staff Reporter

Over sixty students crowded into the Oakland Center on Thursday, March 5 at noon to participate in a lecture entitled  “What it Means to be a Transgender Woman..

Hosted by the Gender and Sexuality Center, the keynote speaker was Renee Knipe, a transgender woman. Knipe has been transitioning over the past two years, and came to speak about her journey.

“This is something I was born with,” Knipe said. “My earliest childhood memories were of gender confusion.”

Speaking for just over an hour, Knipe listed her personal “Top 20”  of do’s and don’ts  for  being friends with the trans-community. The most important tip, which she highlighted, was to ensure the correct use of pronoun when referring to trans-person.

For the audience members, the lecture served as an etiquette course for how to approach the rapidly-growing transgender community in America.

“I know a couple of people who have come out as trans to me,” said OU sophomore Laura Jung, “Renee helped me understand their journeys more.”

GSC coordinator Joann Bautti-Roche played an important role in planning the lecture, which was a part of Women’s History Month.

“I wanted to get Renee to speak after I heard her speak for Professor Jo Reger in the fall semester,” Bautti-Roche said.

At the end of her speech, Knipe encouraged all people to visit her blog at www.srknipe.blogspot.com.

Look for an expanded version of this article on Wednesday, March 11 at www.oaklandpostonline.com and on next week’s print edition of The Oakland Post on March 11.