On Tuesday, 8 people circled up in the Allison Community room to discuss queer and transgender students’ experiences and relationships with their bodies.

The “Trans Salon,” as named on the Dickinson College website, was just one of several events held for Dickinson’s “Love Your Body Week,” taking place from Feb. 20 to Feb. 24.

According to Ella Wiley ’18, Women’s and Gender Studies Resource Center student worker and writer of the Landis House blog, Love Your Body Week is “a week [dedicated] to self-love and self-acceptance… bringing positivity to the student body and student bodies in distinct and extraordinary ways…”

Visiting assistant professor of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Katherine Schweighofer and director of the Office of LGBTQ Services Erica Lawrence approached Liam Fuller ’17, an intern at the Office of LGBTQ Services, with the project who then organized the entirety of the presentation.

“I mean, I thought if we’re going to be talking about trans bodies, why not have a trans person lead the discussion,” said Fuller as to why they took on the project.

Both faculty and students showed up to the salon to discuss a range of topics on anything from how one’s hair informs their gender identity to the influence of the internet on queer communities. Participants prepared beforehand with scholarly readings.

“Of course I would’ve liked more people,” said Fuller on the salon’s turnout. “[It] felt like the same old crowd, which isn’t a bad thing… I like the consistency, but it would be nice to see people, you know, that I wouldn’t expect at this event.”

As to the progression of trans rights at Dickinson, “I think it’s improved over the past couple of years,” said Fuller. But, “I wouldn’t say we’re phenomenal when it comes to trans people. I think we still have a lot of work to do.” Fuller said the bathroom access “has improved, but it could be better,” and they hope to see improvements in “facility to change your name on documents,” and in students’ freedom to use different names in classes.

“A lot of the time, I’m going to be honest,” said Fuller, “as someone who is trans, the [responsibility] is on me if the subject [in class] can be related back to trans identity, to be like, ‘hey, you know we’re missing something, we’re missing a piece of this equation.’ It would be great if more allies could do that as well.”

Love Your Body Week started with a Kickoff Soiree on Mon. Feb. 20; followed by Yoga for Every Body, the Trans Salon, and a Pleasurable Sex forum on Tues. Feb. 21; then a Dickinson Rising: Live at the Library event on Wednesday. The week continues on Thursday with a keynote address by Sonya Renee Taylor at 7 p.m. in ATS, and a dinner in the Social Hall at 5 p.m. Finally, on Friday, Feb. 24 an workshop entitled “10 Tools For Radical Self Love with Sonya Renee Taylor” will be held in the Allison Community Room at 4:30 p.m. To RSVP to the workshop email [email protected].