Embracing our truth: Why National Coming Out Day remains vital for LGBTQIA+ people
NWTC Dean of Regional Learning, Jan Scoville, reflects on the importance of National Coming Out Day and creating belonging for members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
At Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, we believe that everyone has worth and deserves to have access to the resources and services they need to succeed. As part of this belief, we want to ensure that all of our community members can come to an NWTC location as their authentic selves, knowing they are welcomed and belong.
A big part of this is being able to show up and be called by your authentic name. A name is crucial to every individual’s identity, and the College recognizes the importance of that. We are happy to roll out changes to our software to allow you to enter your authentic name and pronouns in our systems.
For more instructions on how to enter your preferred names and pronouns, find more information here: https://nwtc.libanswers.com/faq/362846.
As you walk around campus you’ll see staff members with stickers on their name badges that include their pronouns. These stickers are meant to help create visibility, safety, and an easier interaction for you, the student.
In addition to name and pronouns, you can confidentially enter your sexual orientation and gender identity to help us better collect, understand, and serve the needs of our students and the broader LGBTQ+ community. Your information will not be viewable by individuals but will be used collectively to capture the LGTBQ+ population as a group.
Are you interested in getting involved in LGBTQ+ community events or groups? The NWTC Sexuality and Gender Alliance club meets on the first, third, and fifth Friday of every month in the Unity Longue on the Green Bay campus. You can learn more about the club by reaching out to Shirley Zepnick, the club advisor, at shirley.zepnick@nwtc.edu.
NWTC Dean of Regional Learning, Jan Scoville, reflects on the importance of National Coming Out Day and creating belonging for members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
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