Episode 233 we got to sit down with Nick Arteaga, the chair of the Genderevolution, with the Utah Pride Center. Nick is also the Community Programs Coordinator for the Utah Pride Center. Nick also wears the hat of leader of TransAction, which is one of six adult focus programs at the Utah Pride Center.
Nick’s pronouns are He/Him. They/Them. Nick is the 2nd oldest of 10. He grew up in Southern California until he was about 14. Nick made his way to Utah by way of Las Vegas during his twenties to join up with part of his family. By the time he moved to Utah he knew that he was part of the LGBTQ+ community. Trans-masculine, Non-Binary, of Latinx descent is how Nick identifies. Nick was able to walk through his gender identity journey with us. Why was this conversation important for our show, you may ask? We know that there are kids out there that may need guidance through their own journey and sharing these stories helps create relate-ability.
This is the quote that Nick has on the Utah Pride Center website, “Coming out at any time can be scary, but for trans, non-binary and gender creative folx every day has its unique struggles. My work here has given me the amazing opportunity to watch our extended family grow into their own. To be able to validate those individuals who are transcending the binary and society’s norms is pretty damn wonderful.”
Nick brought some really great points to us during our conversation. We were able to talk about problematic conversations that we may have around non-binary/ gender fluid people. On a daily basis we should be having conversations and work to change our verbiage and the things we may say by using correct pronouns. Things like using things like they/them. It is also okay to ask someone what their pronouns are.
We are also at point where it is okay to recognize color and race. It is an issue and we can’t ignore it. Denigrating someone’s identity creates a bigger issue and recognizing where someone comes from saves lives and validates. We have to take away dehumanizing and then the acronym of LGBTQAI+ can disappear.
The group that Nick helps direct at the Utah Pride Center is called TransAction. It is a trans positive adult focused group. Keeps conversation going, Sunday’s 1:30-3pm. Working locally with businesses to organize community events for the pride center.
GenderRevolution is normally a one day conference. The theme for the 2020 conference was Shattering Binary’s. GenderRevolution started as a way to education folks and fostering a community. With COVID this year, it did allow for it to be more accessible by going online. This years event was held on the 13th and 14th of November. There were 30 workshops of all different topics from parenting, surgery, pronouns, and three keynote speaker Schuyler Bailar, first trans athlete to swim for Harvard who did a lot of work to change rules and regulations for the trans community in sports. Kay Ulanday Barrett, poet and transgender/disability activist. Lydia X Z Brown a non-binary attorney, educator, advocate. The amazing thing about this conference is that in years past it has helped repair and build relationships with parents, educators, victim rights activists, police, and the overall community.
The best way to reach out to Nick is through the Utah Pride center email. You can also go to the Utah Pride Center for upcoming events. All the events, such as TransAction, have their own Facebook groups. NickUPC on Facebook and NachuNick on Twitter.
Nick’s most interesting/unique thing about Utah that he has discovered is that even though people assume that everyone here is LDS, there are a lot of people that aren’t. There are a lot of intelligent, amazing, woke people here. Finding community in a place that he didn’t think is wonderful. From the outside it looks like a hateful place, but on the inside it’s a beautiful secret.
Click on the pride calendar photo to link to the Utah Pride Center Calendar if you are interested, or know someone, that would like to see all the upcoming meetings and support groups! It is the most comprehensive calendar we’ve ever seen!
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Music By: Folk Hogan. Bootleggers Dance.