Sometimes sharing the story of a hard time in one’s life can make the experience easier, and the Gender Monologues is concrete evidence. 

Iowa State’s Gender Monologues will host a writing workshop from 1 to 2 p.m. Friday at Hixson-Lied 1020.

The Gender Monologues is an original program created last year that has been growing ever since. The monologues partnered with the university’s Iota Iota Iota Women’s Studies Honorary (Tri-Iota). They are allowing participants to submit their monologues to Tri-Iota’s upcoming zine, a shortened version of a magazine.

Ashley Maitland, second-year graduate student in education, student affairs and equity and the justice coordinator at the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center, elaborated on the partnership.

“We approached them and said that we could collaborate this year, [so] anyone who submits to the Gender Monologues could also have the opportunity of submitting to the zine,” Maitland said.

Patricia Poblete, program coordinator at the Dean of Students Office, added her thoughts about the zine.

“In partnership with them, we’re sort of encouraging people to submit to their zine if they’re interested,” Poblete said. “Depending on how people feel about performing, we might then do a sort of reading when they do their zine release.”

In order to submit a piece to the Tri-Iota zine, participants must have their monologue finished and submitted within the next few days, Maitland said.

Submissions for the Gender Monologues will be kept open. These submissions will be posted on social media on the Gender Monologues website and in the Tri-Iota zine if they are submitted soon.

The point of the Gender Monologues is to let the voices and stories of all people be heard. It prides itself on being accepting of everyone.

“We created the Gender Monologues because it opens it up to individuals of all genders to participate,” Maitland said.

Maitland later explained the workshop and how it allows participants to share their own stories and get feedback from the workers there.

“[It] helps people feel comfortable if they’re talking with someone who’s going to provide them with great feedback about their story,” Maitland said. “It doesn’t have to be a wonderful literary piece. We support everyone’s story of gender.”

Poblete also chimed in on the concept of the workshop.

“If they can come out of a workshop saying that they know how to talk about something, that’s great,” Poblete said. “That’s sort of our primary goal.”

Both Poblete and Maitland hope the event will allow participants to open up about their stories.

“I hope it gives space to people who want to have conversations or share their story about gender,” Maitland said. “I hope people feel empowered by doing that or learn something about themselves by sharing their story about gender.”

Poblete shared her thoughts on what she hopes people will get out of this experience.

“One thing that we especially want to encourage is just to have people comfortable articulating their own stories,” Poblete said. “Making that first step of just talking with one or two people can be hugely important.”