Monday (Oct. 8) marks the beginning of National Coming Out Week (NCOW), a five-day civil-awareness event celebrating people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT).
This year s events include a launch party, a panel discussion on gender roles and stereotypes in the LGBT community, a drag show, the annual NCOW fest and a conference on LGBT members personal coming out experiences.
NCOW was first recognized at Temple in 2008 as a way to inform the community about National Coming Out Day, which is observed on Oct. 11.
Temple resident directors Nu'Rodney Prad and Temple Jordan serve as co-chairs, working with Temple s NCOW committee on the events. The committee consists of members from University Housing and Residential Life, the Office of Student Activities, the Health Education Awareness Resource Team (HEART), the Queer Student Union, the Residence Hall Association, the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, Campus Recreation, the Office of Leadership Development and Student Center Operations.
The committee builds partnerships with local groups to participate in individual aspects of NCOW events. Committee members from Student Center Operations, Residence Hall Association and HEART join with groups such as Campus Philly, Student Activities and the Dean of Students Office to support the effort.
Groups like Sodexo are creating a special cupcake exclusively for NCOW, said Steve Dexter, acting assistant Director of Residential Life.
Dexter said that other groups are providing items such as t-shirts and bracelets as a way of spreading the message behind NCOW. Each year the events evolve as the number of partnerships grow, he said.
And as more groups come together to strengthen the effort, the university offers a more supportive atmosphere for people of all sexual orientations.
A lot of people involved with the planning of the events are self-aware of their sexuality, said Dexter, But for many students, they are still questioning it. Maybe those students won t always come to events because they are fearful, but they ll watch at a distance and then check out online resources.
NCOW events are important because they create awareness through campus. When students share stories and celebrate being self-aware and accepted, it creates an inclusive environment, said Dexter.
Monday, Oct. 8NCOW Kickoff Event: Information about the week s activities. 11:30-12:30 p.m., Student Center Atrium.Official Launch Party: Dynasty, Queer Student Union and Temple Student Government host the official launch party kicking off the week s events. 7:30-9 p.m., Temple Performing Arts Center.Tuesday, Oct. 9Gender Roles and Stereotypes within the LGBTQ Community: Panelists discuss how masculine and feminine behavior is perceived and explore general stereotypes that potentially exist within the LGBTQ community. 7-9 p.m., Student Center, 200A.Wednesday, Oct. 10Drag Show: Models fashion outfits inspired by this year s theme Be You. 7-9 p.m., Student Center Underground.Thursday, Oct. 11NCOW Fest: Meet members of the NCOW planning team as well as other students and members of the LGBTQ community. Meet representatives from Campus Philly, the Health Education Awareness Team and many others. 12-1:30 p.m. Bell Tower.Come Out, Speak Out: Speakers share their coming out experiences. […]
