Allyson Ifergan | Staff Writer
What better way to welcome Trans Day of Visibility than with poetry?
On Mar. 11, 2025, the Pride Student Union welcomed students to compete in a Poetry Slam at BBC’s Wolfe University Center.
Art and writing are creative mediums through which members of the LGBTQIA+ community can freely express themselves and feel celebrated. Poetry slams specifically house a space where the Trans community can tell stories of the hardships, experiences, and emotions of being trans.
In honor of Trans Day of Visibility, PSU opened the floor to students to participate in a poetry slam.
“Any student within FIU who identifies within the trans community or an ally that has a piece written for the trans community is allowed to submit their work,” Margarita Montes, a psychology junior, said.
“My poem was about how society– American culture basically separates everything into two categories– black or white, short or tall, etc — and I wanted to talk about how it feels to be outside of that space because nature isn’t so simple,” Jay Lowery, Sociology junior said.
Jay Lowery reciting a poem | Allyson Ifergan, PantherNOW
Lowery recited “Wanted,” a list poem they wrote about feeling outside the margins as a nonbinary person. They want people to recognize that these feelings of never fitting into one category are a part of the trans experience.
At the end of the poetry slam, attendees were encouraged to join in during the spoken word portion of the evening.
Tyia Hareland sitting at the PSU table | Allyson Ifergan, PantherNOW
Tyia Hareland, a masters in social work student and the events director for PSU, read a couple of her poems. The first poem was about the difficulties of navigating society as a transwoman, and her experiences with dating.
“It started with what happens with me when I go out on dates with men and the awkward experiences that I face,” Hareland said.
The poetry slam featured a variety of perspectives, concerns, and emotions, and the event successfully created a safe space for trans students.
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