Atlantic City, N. J.
Last year, LGBTs and allies in Atlantic City celebrated the city’s first NCOD observance, which this year promises to bring even more entertainment and education. National Coming Out Day in A.C. will be presented by 2nd Level Productions 4-8 p.m. Oct. 5 at Steel Pier, 1000 Boardwalk. The event is free and funded by South Jersey AIDS Alliance, and sponsored by Steel Pier. Ms. Tammy White will host the event. Event co-coordinator Travis Love said the occasion celebrates the various identities that encompass the LGBT community. “It was important for the community to have a space where they could come out and support each other and be where they felt safe to celebrate individuality,” Love said. The event will showcase emerging artists and speakers and will seek to be even more inclusive than the inaugural celebration, with a focus on family friendliness. Attendees can get free HIV tests and learn about local churches, support groups and social groups in the South Jersey area. “South Jersey can feel isolated because there is not a great deal of opportunities to go to LGBT-affirming places unless it is a nightclub, so it’s important to create a space to do that,” Love said. For more information, search for South Jersey AIDS Alliance on Facebook.
Temple University
Temple University will celebrate its annual National Coming Out Week Oct. 7-11. NCOW will kick off with a drag performance from 7-9 p.m. Oct. 7 at the Temple Performing Arts Center, where guests can learn more about the week’s programming. Temple’s NCOW will play host to a variety of panels, including a discussion on gender stereotypes from 7-9 p.m. Oct. 8 at Howard Gittis Student Center, Room 200A, and one on being out in the workforce, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Oct. 9 in Room 217 of the the student center. The same night, the Breaking Beauty Standards fashion show from 7-9 p.m. at Morgan Hall, Room D301, will showcase diverse models to promote body-positive messages. The Student Center Underground will host Come Out, Speak Out from 7-9:30 p.m. Oct. 10, where guests will share their coming-out stories. The week will cap off with NCOW Fest, noon-1:30 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Bell Tower. For more information on Temple University’s NCOW, visit http://sites.temple.edu/ncowequality .
— compiled by Angela Thomas
