Transgender Day of Visibility: A CSUMB story

By Mark Muckenfuss

When Athena Burciaga’s attempted gender transition was discovered by her parents, it did not go well. Then 19, she was six months into her hormone therapy –  the first step in physically becoming a woman. 

Her mother kicked her out of the family’s Dayton, Nevada home and demanded that Burciaga admit herself to a behavioral health hospital and discontinue her transition.

“I didn’t have anywhere else to go,” Bruciaga said. “It was either I self-admit or be homeless.”

She said she now has a home at CSUMB and, after restarting her transition, feels she is in a much healthier place. By sharing her story, she’s hoping to bring more awareness and understanding about transgender people as the International Transgender Day of Visibility, March 31, approaches. 

A computer science major, Burciaga is in her third year at CSUMB, hoping to one day work in data science with machine learning or artificial intelligence. She has been involved with the Rainbow Raft Pride Center since before it opened and is a member of the center’s staff. 

“The center has been a great outlet,” she said, not only for her but for others. It provides a safe space for students to be able to share their experiences and find critical support, she added, support she didn’t initially receive. 

Her rejection by her family sent her into physical and emotional turmoil, including thoughts of taking her own life. She spent a month in the behavioral health facility and the next two years recovering from that experience, she said. She was lucky enough to connect with good counseling.

“They were very supportive,” she said. “When I told them I wanted to transition again, they helped me formulate a plan.”

Having that plan gave her confidence. 

“I feel like it gave me a reason to live,” she said. “I truly believe gender-affirming care saves lives. I know it saved mine. I haven’t had (suicidal) ideations since.” 

Burciaga said she appreciates the inclusive atmosphere she has found at CSUMB. In addition to working at the Rainbow Raft Pride Center, she is also a resident advisor in student housing. 

“As an RA, I get to talk to a lot of people and they’ve all been very accepting of my identity,” she said. “I’ve met a lot of cisgender people who didn’t understand what trans meant until they talked to me.”

She hopes that by making those kinds of contacts, transgender people will enjoy an easier life. 

“It’s such a hard thing to come out and live your truth,” she said. “No one would ‘choose’ a lifestyle that’s put under such scrutiny.

“We are all human beings.” she added, “and the least we deserve is a little bit of understanding and respect.”