National Coming Out Week (NCOW) kicked off at Temple with a drag show and will continue throughout the week with festivals, arts, and an alumni panel.
“This is a week that allows people who are trying to figure out how to come out to friends and family to feel supported. We should do that for all kinds of people,” Temple’s provost JoAnne Epps said.
It wasn’t until 2008 when two University Housing & Residential Life members, Andrew Dies and Nu’Rodney Prad, took the initiative to create NCOW with the goal to celebrate National Coming out Day which lands on October 11 each year.
Today, NCOW has evolved from just a group celebrating National Coming out Day to being a campus wide departmental effort that spreads awareness and acceptance.
“We have evolved now into a national program that’s division wide. We have many departments across the division of Student Affairs and others who help support, plan and fund [NCOW,]” Assistant Director for Residential Life and Co Chair for the NCOW committee, Steve Dexter said.
Campus Recreation, Student Center Operations and others now form part of the NCOW committee that was originally run by:
- The University Housing & Residential Life
- The Office of Student Activities
- The Health Education Awareness Resource Team
- The Queer Student Union
- And the Residence Hall Association
Anthony Sanchez, events coordinator for the Queer Student Union, said the importance of the upcoming diverse panel is that it provides visibility and support to those “coming out.” “The panel at NCOW incorporates staff members, students, and everyone that are very pro LGBTQIA and want to support our community at Temple,” he said. For more information on the rest of the NCOW events click here.
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