The Department of Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) in the Falk College is hosting a makeup drive to benefit the Syracuse-area transgender community on Thursday, March 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Schine Student Center.
The drive was organized by Meghan Harris and Nikki Binnie, MFT graduate students on the Trans Team at the Syracuse University Couple and Family Therapy Center, part of the MFT program. Students on the Trans Team receive specialized training to provide gender-affirmative therapy for transgender people and their families and assist in the readiness process for medical gender transition.
“As students on the Trans Team, we recognized that there was a need in our community that was not being met,” says Harris. “For many transwomen it is difficult to navigate the complicated world of makeup and many face discrimination and judgment if they seek out information on their own. However, makeup is a necessity for many women that helps build confidence and is an outlet to express themselves.”
The students from the Trans Team will not only collect these resources, but also plan to host a future workshop to offer a safe environment in which to teach women how to use makeup. “We want to build connections and an extending network of support within the transgender community, but we cannot do that without the help of Allies in the greater Syracuse University community,” Harris says.
Acceptable items include mascara, eyeliner, eye shadow, foundation, blush, lip gloss, lipstick and other makeup products. For hygienic reasons, products must be new and unopened. For more information, contact Harris (mharr104@syr.edu) or Binnie (nlbinnie@syr.edu).
