world scholar > tj profile

Interview by B. Delancy

TJ Jourian, 24, is completing a graduate degree in Student Affairs Adminstration at Michigan State University in East Lansing. The Cyprus native is a Fulbright scholarship recipient who received a BA in General Management in 2002. In 2005, he appeared in the LOGO/Sundance Channel documentary Transgerenation which follows four young people as they manuervuer college-life and transition from one gender to another.

World Scholar: Students are often warned of ‘culture shock’ when preparing to study in the United States. Did you experience anything like this, if so, how did you manage it?

T.J.: To be honest my experience of culture shock was pretty minimal, thanks to some summer sessions that I participated in before my freshman semester that gave students a broad overview of what we could expect, but I also felt fairly familiar with some aspects of American culture through media and my schooling.I did need to get used to not greeting friends with kisses on their cheeks, which is something very common in Cyprus, especially the Armenian community. I think what helped me through those initial months was just keeping an open mind, staying in touch with supportive friends and family at home, and not being afraid to jump out of my comfort zone.

WS: Tell us about life at Michigan State? How do you gel with the rest of the international student community?

T.J.: It’s actually been interesting trying to balance and integrate my multiple identities, and not always possible. College has been my first opportunity to be out as a transman and be around other lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender (LBGT) students, and the two communities don’t overlap very much. I wish I had the time to dedicate myself to as many organizations and communities as I really wanted, but I’ve had to focus more on the LBGT community as that won’t be something I will be able to do in Cyprus.

WS: How has this American college experience shaped who you are right now?

TJ: College is an amazing developmental time for anyone who has the privilege and opportunity to move onto higher education. For me it has redirected my life goals and passions towards social justice work as my eyes have been opened to the injustices and oppression that we still tolerate today. It has also allowed me to really grow into myself as a whole human being.

WS: When you return to Cyprus at the end of this semester, how will your life change? How do you envision the re-adjustment process to your home country will go?

TJ: I believe that going back to Cyprus will be much more of a culture shock to me than coming to the States ever was. My time here was the first time I was completely independent and in total control of my own life, whereas going back to Cyprus, those dynamics will change. A return home will also unfortunately be tainted by an expected return to my former self, and a gender presentation and identity that I am not comfortable with. It is hard to finally find yourself and know that, at least temporarily, you will have to put yourself on pause for your family.

WS: How were you approached to participate in “TransGeneration”? Did you have any reservations about documenting your life?

TJ: Folks at World of Wonder and the Sundance Channel did a remarkable job outreaching to multiple sources through flyers, listservs, websites, trying to get their call out to as many people as possible. Their goal was to make sure they had a diverse pool of folks to pick 4 distinct stories from and I think they did a great job with that. I responded to one of their calls on a trans-related email listserv. After which, I was called by Thairin Smothers (one of the producers) for a phone interview. That was followed by an on-site interview and cast taping by the director, Jeremy Simmons. Jeremy and I clicked immediately during that time.

I knew I wanted to be cautious about this documentary. Transgender documentaries are often made in a manner that pathologize and/or sensationalize their subjects, and I was not interested in that at all. I wanted to see a documentary that finally portrayed trans people as three-dimensional human beings. But there was something about both Jeremy and Thairin that told me that I could trust them, so I didn’t hesitate when they asked me to be a part of it.

WS: You mentioned that you’ve always known you were not like other children. When did you begin to give credence to those feelings that you might be like the other children you were growing alongside? Were you able to identify, at that early age, that you were lesbian or even trans?

TJ: Growing up I really didn’t have the language to describe myself and explain to people how I felt. The messages that I got about LBGT people swung between non-existent and hostile. I knew to keep quiet about my feelings. I really began questioning my sexuality late in high school and early on in college and began to really accept my attraction towards women. But I also never felt at home with a lesbian identity, it just never seemed to fit. At an event that I attended to learn about transgender people and learn how to be supportive of this community, I listened carefully to the stories folks shared about their childhoods, and all of a sudden all these memories of feeling like a boy at the age of 2, 3, 4 years old came back to me. That was at the age of 20 and I haven’t looked back since.

WS: You are a political activist and feminist. To what do you credit your political activism? What causes are important to you?

TJ: My sense as an activist I completely credit to the amazing people that I’ve met over the past 6 or so years, who have taught me through their own examples that people are powerful and can create the change they wish to see, that we do not have to be complacent to an oppressive system that seeks to silence and disenfranchise those that do not fit certain ideals across racial, ethnic, gender, religious, class and so many other lines. But most of all, I credit it to my best friend and brother, Jordan Furrow, who has been my comrade and mentor through it all. He was the first activist that I truly admired and wished to emulate. He taught me my own strength and sparked a fire in me that will be lit for quite a while.

I find it difficult to prioritize what causes are most important to me, as I find them to be interconnected on so many levels. I have chosen to focus on trans advocacy work, because that’s an area that is deeply personal to me and does not have the kind of people power that other movements might, but I do that work within a feminist, anti-racist, and anti-violence framework.

WS: What do you think people’s biggest misconception is of you?

TJ: That I have all the answers. I really don’t, I just have learned to be comfortable with ambiguity and unknowns. I don’t find them to be quite as intimidating and threatening as I used to, and in fact I tend to enjoy some level of ambiguity. It allows me the flexibility to change, continue learning and challenging myself. Without challenge, I cannot see myself growing, and I don’t wish to ever become stagnant.

WS: What stage of the transition from female-to-male are you on?

TJ: Socially, I have completed transition as I use male pronouns and name at all times. The medical piece will have to wait for a while until I know what my future holds, and where I will be living.

WS: This interview will run in our travel issue. Tell us about Cyprus. What’s it like there and what should a student traveler see.

TJ: Cyprus is absolutely gorgeous and has the distinction of being a breathtaking blend of European and Middle Eastern cultures. The beaches are something that no visitor should miss out on - Ayia Napa and Protaras are particularly popular areas. A traveler should also make sure to check out the capital, Nicosia, as the only remaining divided capital in the world and explore that part of the national identity of Cyprus. The nightlife in Limassol, Nicosia and Ayia Napa is also quite enticing. The villages and the mountainous areas are great for folks wanting to get away from the complications of city life and experience some tradition, including great food. And don’t forget to go to Zygi for the best seafood you will find anywhere!