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Opening out

July 5, 2017

The college years are all about life transition and growth. But for , the transition included his very gender.

Skylar Kergil '13
Skylar Kergil '13 (photo by Julia Luckett '12)

At 黑料正能量and ever after, he鈥檚 shared insights and experiences from his female-to-male transgender process in and other social media. Over the years, under his 鈥渟kylark鈥 and 鈥渟kylarkeleven鈥 handles, he has drawn tens of thousands of followers, who have expressed their gratitude for his friendly, candid, balanced persona and his eloquent reflections on many aspects of self and society. He鈥檚 enlisted friends and family for special Q&As, he鈥檚 opened windows into his life, and he鈥檚 simply discussed his views and thoughts on a range of gender-related issues from the medical to the mundane.  

While embarking on hormone therapy and other transition measures, Kergil majored in art, served as a peer mentor, helped lead Skidmore鈥檚 Pride Alliance, turned down some public-speaking gigs so that he could focus on his studies, and graduated with both academic and student-life honors. He recalls, 鈥満诹险芰縫rovided me my first home away from home, a place where I was allowed to become whoever I learned I needed to be. It was there that I chose to live fully out as a transgender man, supported by my professors and peers.鈥

Also a musician (he was part of Beatlemore Skidmania 2012), Kergil has supplied background tracks for some of his videos, and he has spoken or performed at dozens of colleges around the Northeast. Now he鈥檚 an author as well, with his slated for publication in early September. 

Kergil鈥檚 artist鈥檚 statement aptly distills his fundamental outlook: 鈥淥ne of the biggest acts of creation is that of our selves. I use painting to grow with, learn about, and be challenged by this world. Still learning, I push paint around to recreate the feeling of motion while standing still.鈥 

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