speech from call me by my name

We are here on the streets today to show, as people suffering under patriarchy, where the problems and discrimination lie. Some self-described „feminists“ say that the only group that has the right to take to the streets today as part of March 8 are women. However, not only these are suffering in our patriarchal society.

Therefore, first a short explanation of the term: cisgender (cis for short): the
gender agrees with the gender determined at birth

transgender (trans for short): the gender determined at birth is wrong, people then live as binary trans male/female, as non-binary or a_gender, i.e. outside the gender spectrum.

My name is Glen, I’m transmasculin and that’s Jo. Jo is non binary. Today we are speaking on behalf of the initiative „Call me by my name“ we represent the interests of the trans students in Halle.

The name of our initiative, Call me by my name, already reveals it. First names, as well as salutations and correct use of pronouns, leave much to be desired. A first name change is only possible at the university when the process for the official name change has begun, as well as when a supplementary ID card is available. First of all, the first problem: Which students have the money so easily, several thousand euros for the name and civil status change, and another 20 euros for a supplementary ID? Or in addition to studying, energy and time for several psychological assessments and applications? Without this, they don’t even allow a name change. So we have to be confronted with our deadname every day, be it in lists, in the salutation in class, our student ID, the mails, Stud.Ip, just everywhere.

The reactions when we presented our concerns to the Chancellor and the Inclusion Staff Office looked like this: „Yes, we see that yes, but it is not so easy, with the legal and the technical. And what if people abuse that and at all.“ Maybe one or the other of you remember that.

On 31.3.21 we started a list of signatures and a petition for the TDOV. It now has over 600 signatures, thank you for that. And what has it changed at the university? Nothing at all…. How can it be that our university, which is so cosmopolitan and inclusive to the outside world, does not manage to support us in this system?

Other places at the university do not make our lives any easier. The people in the ITZ, for example, simply ignore us completely. Even after my official name and gender change, they still haven’t been able to give me a new email that doesn’t contain my deadname. Unfortunately, the executive floor of the university is not the only front line at the university where we have to fight for our rights.

Our fellow students also like to put obstacles in our way, to put it this way. A few here maybe experienced it in autumn, the group „AG ANTIFA“, a working group of the Sturas, held an event entitled „Expulsion of Nature. Critic of Queer- und Transideology “ organized. Speakers were Vojin Saša Vukadinović and Hannah Kassimi. He is a sexologist, she is an author. The whole thing was then set up as a panel discussion in the VL, where cis people were to discuss trans people together. Already in the introductory lectures trans* was referred to as a mental illness, false facts and figures were spread and this basic tenor continued. During the discussion, only the exact people who are loyal to the line of the AG were allowed to speak, trans* people were booed or ignored altogether.
Unfortunately, it is not only trans-hostility. A person who could not understand much due to a hearing impairment and poor technology… or what about the bad way of speaking in anti-German pseudo-intulectics?…. Well, in any case, the person had asked for the texts of the readers to participate in the substantive discussion. As a result, one acted in an ableist way, assumed lies and finished off the person. At least Hannah Kassimi was probably embarrassed and provided texts afterwards. All in all, the evening was once again a proof that the political scene in Halle is still not a savespace for minorities And the aftermath has only proven that even more. Here is an excerpt of the bullshit – If I were to list everything now, we would still be here tomorrow:

• Hate campaign on the Internet against anyone who has shown solidarity, but above all against those affected
• Threats to the Stura presidency and other affected persons
• Publication in the StuRa of an edited voice recording of the person with hearing impairment, which was recorded and distributed without knowledge. The goal was to be better off
• a 2nd transphobic lecture, this time with the title Homophobia, Misogyny, Exploitation. Onqueer-theoretical activism.
• They have received a wave of solidarity… by themselves: The personnel overlaps in VL, Reile, AG Antifa, OAP, as well as Linksjugend Solid Halle – who will give a transphobic lecture with Naida Pintul tomorrow- were shown a lot
• Artemis was founded. Today, the „feminist“ group is holding a counter-event at Hallmarkt with a colourful palette of Terf and Swerf speeches. TERF stands for trans exclusively radical feminist, swerf for sex work exclusively radical feminist. And of course there is again a separation with the rest of Halle’s anti-German scene.
So far, they have also gotten away well without consequences. In the StuRa, the Open Left List, the Green University Group and the Jusos filed a motion for dissolution, but they are now stuck in a never-ending mediation process, or rather still in the preparation of it. It will probably be a long fight….

In any case, thank you for the solidarity we were able to experience, and in general to everyone who stands here and not at the Hallmarkt.
And if there are still questions: No our existence does not take away any other rights.