A send-off for Darcy Corbitt

At the end of this summer, we’ll be losing one of the best trans activists this state ever saw: a sassy, fierce, and passionate lady by the name of Darcy Corbitt. She wasn’t afraid to say what needed to be said, hold people accountable, or work tirelessly to make the world a better place. I had the honor of asking her a few questions about her time here.

High Plains Reader: What was your call to activism and what motivates you to keep fighting?

Darcy Corbitt: My call to activism began when I met with my undergraduate institution about concerns that I would be discriminated against if I used the public bathroom which affirmed my identity. The brick wall I hit made me angry, and I started fighting with the university's GSA [Gay/Straight Alliance] to get gender identity and expression added to the university's non-discrimination policy.

Our success pushed me into the spotlight, and I began to be a target for hate mail and death threats. This made me even angrier and more resolved to make our communities safer and more affirming.

Today, even though I am often tired and discouraged, I am motivated to keep fighting because I want the struggles that I've had in my life to not be a norm for my children and grandchildren.

HPR: Why did you move to North Dakota and what did you expect before getting here?

DC: I moved to North Dakota to start doctoral studies at North Dakota State University. I was pretty worried about moving to such an isolated and conservative state. However, I was really pleased by how many supportive people live in this area and found it to be a much better experience than I expected.

HPR: In the two years you’ve been here, please tell me some of your major accomplishments.

DC: Academically, I got my first publication while here and received recognition for my potential as a future scientist, from the National Science Foundation. As an advocate, I think the most important thing I did while I was here was bring greater awareness of the issues faced by the transgender community in North Dakota.

I traveled all over the state and got to speak to the people who are affected most by our state's lack of equality. I've spoken at six of the institutions of higher learning in the state and revived the LGBTQ+ campus conference in North Dakota, the Great Plains Affirming Campus Conference.

HPR: Tell me about the Darcy Jeda Corbitt Foundation?

DC: It will provide online support to transgender individuals and their loved ones, connect them to local resources, and have educational webinars for allies all hosted on its flagship program, MyTransitionPartner.com.

We are working on developing a more sustainable donor base so we can provide assistance grants to transgender individuals to help them go through a legal name change and update their identity documents (you can make a donation at darcycorbitt.org/donate).

Because we are a cloud-based organization, we are fortunate to have people all over the country working on this, and I will be taking a less active role, once all of the initial work has been done to get everything up and running.

MyTransitionPartner.com is up and running, though we are still testing it and have different people peer-reviewing the content for accuracy.

HPR: What have been your biggest challenges in this state?

DC: There are a lot of cultural differences between Alabama, where I grew up, and here. I am very direct and am not hung up on tradition. I feel like people here are not very direct and incredibly resistant to change -- both in the LGBTQ+ community and outside the LGBTQ+ community.

I think I may have hit this state like a very intense Southern heat wave. It was hard navigating these differences, and there were a lot of times when I felt like people didn't take me or my work very seriously. This was really discouraging, and often left me feeling isolated, but at the end of the day what mattered to me was that I did my best to emboldened others to be their genuine selves.

HPR: What final words do you have for the people of North Dakota?

DC: Even though I am not finishing what I started when I came here and didn't accomplish what I originally came here to do, I have no regrets about the time I spent with you and fighting for you. I care about you all very much, and I hope that in your individual journeys toward being the best version of yourself you will continue to encourage each other, to walk together in love and kindness, and to boldly embrace the wonderful person you have always been.

[Faye Seidler is the North Dakota Safe Zone Project Spokeswoman]