Transgender youth activist and actress from Los Angeles, CA, Zoey Luna, spoke in a keynote address hosted by the LGBT Resource Center at EMU on Transgender Day of Visibility, Wednesday, March 31, about intersectionality and identity.
As a Latina woman, Luna shared her experiences with her intersectional identity.
“I questioned if there was something wrong with the world because my identity didn’t match what people thought of me. Having any intersectional identity is rough because there are so many ways you can be discriminated against,“ Luna said.
Luna spoke about the danger of making assumptions about trans people and the need for a high-profile march specifically for the trans community.
“People tend to have this box of who a trans person is; we’re not supposed to be in a box. I’ve gone to several different community-organized marches for the trans community, but when is it going to be time for us to get a high-profile march like the March for Women’s Lives or the March for Science?” Luna said.
Luna expressed that the title of “activist” is a huge title, and “people expect you to know things, but activism is truly just standing up for what you believe in and creating a safe environment for everyone else,” Luna said.
She also discussed the need for trans representation in the media, specifically the representation of trans people of color.
Luna is an actress, who has appeared on FX’s Pose and in the 2020 movie The Craft: Legacy where she played the character, Lourdes.
“I felt in sync with this character. The Craft allowed me to see how far I could go with myself,” Luna said.
However, when it comes to representation in the media of trans people of color, “I haven’t seen too many diverse-looking people in young films. And when kids see pretty light-skinned people on television, they want to grow up to be light-skinned,” Luna said.
To combat these issues, Luna highlighted the importance of voting, knowing your rights, staying informed, and keeping up to date with the legislature going through Congress.
“Don’t lose hope,” Luna said. “Today may feel like a fake smile, but it’s a start to a better future.”
