Women veterans honored at City College

By Tim Johnson

news@theguardsman.com / @sfbreakingnews

Special to The Guardsman

The Women’s Resource Center at Ocean campus held an open house on March  21, honoring women veterans and Women’s Studies majors alike in a  manner both accepting and informative.

The biannual event, organized by Gaby Herrera and Windy Jara, kicked  off with an introduction to a diverse staff who talked about the various  services regularly provided by the center, including tea and healthy  snacks served daily, free access to computers, phones and feminine  products, and a wall of relatable literature.

The  staff also provides support and information about finding counselors  and housing, and are available to all students Monday through Friday  from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

After  the introductions, food and drink were served to a room full of  attendees. Talk of the usefulness of the center moved openly around the  room.

City College student Kathy Fabognano has been utilizing the services of the center for a while.

“It’s a nice place to come and use the computers,” said Fabognano, “or grab a snack if you missed breakfast.”

As the food and conversation dwindled, we were introduced to our first  speaker, Sophia De Anza, an American Indian transgender veteran, who  told a story about her experience in the service. Known back then as Juan, De Anza said she enlisted in 1980 and spent  time serving in the guard towers at Guantanamo Bay, where she struggled  not only with feelings about her gender but also had to deal with being a  victim of rape while on base. De Anza said she was locked in a holding  cell after suffering a breakdown.

Flyers  were then handed out regarding information on getting an Associate’s  degree in Women’s Studies, a two year program focusing on women’s  experiences from a feminist perspective.