On Wednesday, to celebrate National Coming Out Day, Albion College, the Office of Belonging and the student organization LGBrITs held an event on the quad with a photo booth, button-making and displayed a large number of campus resources committed to allyship. This highlighted Albion College’s number of resources for LGBTQIA+ individuals.
National Coming Out Day was first observed in 1988 on the first anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Over time, National Coming Out Day became its own separate celebration paired with the Human Rights Campaign in 1993. This partnership has continued to make individuals aware of the resources and guides available to those in the process of coming out or who are interested in understanding the journey.
According to the LGBTQIA2S+ Resources on the Albion College website, there are specific housing options and communities that support LGBTQIA+ individuals. The options include single-gender communities, gender-inclusive communities and queer connection communities which integrate gender education into the living experience.
Both on and off campus, there are health and wellness initiatives and services specifically created for individuals in the community, such as text health lines and LGBTQIA+-affirming care provided by Registered Medical Assistant Melissa Sommers. For the comfort of LGBTQIA+ individuals, the website also provides a list of every gender neutral bathroom on campus. In addition to this, opportunities for outreach are available through the Office of Belonging, the Title IX office and counseling services on campus.
This event also highlighted various LGBTGIA+ student organizations to either join or support such as the Trans Student Alliance, Albion Rainbow Connection (ARC) and LGBrITs. According to the LGBTQIA+ Resources website, Albion College “provides a safe place and allows students to build a community where they can be themselves.
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