Joy is resistance. That’s the theme of the 2025 annual Trans Visibility Exhibition at Ithaca College, an exhibit that will take place from 5-7 p.m. March 28 in the Campus Center lobby. The exhibit provides a space for transgender and nonbinary students to share a diverse array of art that dives beyond the usual narratives of struggle and hardship into creativity, glee and community.
Senior February Schneck, a student worker at the Center for LGBT Education, came up with the idea of the exhibition last year. They said they see the exhibit as an evolution of traditional diversity, equity, and inclusion events. Rather than just raising awareness, Schneck said the goal is to amplify the voices of trans students in a way that feels true to them.
“We have the opportunity to spread visibility in a different way, to allow trans and nonbinary students to be seen however they want to be seen,” Schneck said.
Junior Aleksander Burke, one of the featured artists, submitted a lithograph print that reads “Protect Trans Kids.” The piece incorporates symbolic elements: a butterfly and dragonfly representing transmasculine and transfeminine identities, a snake symbolizing lawmakers pushing harmful policies and invasive thistle plants to depict the spread of these policies. Through his work, Burke hopes to challenge rigid views of gender and advocate for trans rights.
“I want people to think more about the complexity of gender identity,” Burke said. “It’s not just male and female—there are so many identities and experiences that deserve to be recognized.”
Sophomore Trevor Hemmerling wrote a poem for the exhibition that explores themes of art, joy and solidarity, reminding trans individuals that they are not alone.
“In this poem in particular, I’m aiming for getting the idea [that members of the trans community] are not alone in our experience, and we are here to support each other,” Hemmerling said. “There is someone who sees you and hears you for who and what you are.”
Beyond showcasing artwork, the exhibition is about providing trans individuals space for creative expression, advocacy and community support. Lee Tyson, Pride Fellow of the Center of LGBT Education, emphasized the importance of keeping the event accessible and inclusive to as many people as possible.
“We’re always listening to our community and adapting to their needs,” Tyson said. “We want to make sure this is a space where as many people as possible can engage with the art and support our artists.”
Tyson said art holds power in driving social change, noting that it offers a way to elevate voices that might otherwise go unheard.
“Art offers a different lens into individual and collective experiences,” Tyson said. “It can help us be inspired through aesthetic practice.”
Burke said art intrinsically carries meaning, making it a great vehicle to communicate a message or ideology. He said that sharing one’s art with an audience can be a form of enacting the change that the artist is passionate about initiating.
“You see [meaning] everywhere — graffiti, even [in] corporate logos — they don’t make those without meaning,” Burke said. “Art shapes a lot of opinions.”
The theme, “Joy as Resistance,” invokes the idea that celebration itself is a powerful act. Schneck said that to them this exhibition shows faith in the fact that as an institution, the college is not backing away in their initiatives to create spaces for students to express themselves, and if anything, it is doubling down.
“The whole point is to show that even these kinds of ‘little things’ — they’re big,” Schneck said. “They’re important. They serve a function and they help us to be blunt.”
Hemmerling said they have a deep appreciation for this year’s theme for the exhibition. He said it gave him a chance to make art about trans joy and connection and not just the isolation or misery that transgender individuals can experience.
“I see the sheer act of making art, and even just existing as a trans person as an act of resiliency and an act of resistance,” Hemmerling said.
Schneck also participated as an artist in last year’s exhibition. Schneck said that as an artist, they tend to focus on the idea that people are more bound by their humanity more than their differences. They said they hope the exhibition serves as a catalyst for action rather than just sympathy.
“I think any good story should speak to the whole human experience,” Schneck said. “In that way I find trans stories to be … so relatable … because we all every day make the choice of what person we’re gonna be and what face we’re gonna put on while trans people go through that in perhaps a more tangible way than other people experience.”
As the needs of the trans community continue to evolve and be challenged by the current presidential administration, ensuring access to spaces for expression and support remains a priority. Tyson said the goals for the LGBT Center revolve around the importance of fostering dialogue and providing resources.
“We know that a lot of needs are shifting right now so we’re always hoping that folks will come and chat with us,” Tyson said.
Visibility is not just about being seen — it is about being empowered to speak and take up space. Hemmerling said that at a time where tensions in the community are so high, he wishes more efforts were spent on fostering this confidence.
“Rather than just creating opportunities for people to share their voices, try to build … a sense of unity so that people feel like they can, and they deserve to say what they have to say,” Hemmerling said.
Despite the obstacles and hardships the trans community faces, Hemmerling said the exhibit is a way to highlight the vibrancy, creativity and deep sense of solidarity that exists within it too.
“Our community is so beautiful, and our community is so full of care,” Hemmerling said. “Our lived experiences have inspired this kind of beauty and this kind of creativity in us, that it’s not all doom and gloom. There’s so much vibrance that comes out of it, and I’m excited to see that [and] I’m excited for other people to see that.”
