In celebration of National Coming Out Day, Friday, Oct. 11, the organization is offering events on the University of Akron campus where students can learn more about the challenges LGBTQIA+ others face and the ways they can support them.

On Friday, from noon to 1:30 p.m., students can gather in a safe space to support and celebrate our LGBTQIA+ community with “Coffee, Tea, and Community: Celebrating Safe Spaces on National Coming Out Day.” The event will be held in the Jean Hower Taber Student Union Piano and International Lounge, where students can have conversations over a cup of coffee or tea. There will also be a photo booth for students who want to commemorate the event. The event provides an opportunity for the UA campus to show support.

Later on Friday, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, the Zips Activity Board (ZAB) will partner with other organizations for the “National Coming Out Day Celebration,” which will also take place in the Jean Hower Taber Student Union Piano and International Lounge. Participants can learn about LGBTQIA+ resources on campus, queer culture, and how to support someone through their coming out journey. The event will include a paint-your-own flag station, murals with post-it notes, resources and more.

Also on Friday, the UA’s student-run radio station, WZIP, will play music from queer artists and talk about how important they are.

Coming out is not always easy.

In a 2013 Pew Research survey, 59% of adults surveyed said it was difficult to come out to their family.

Only 15% of the nearly 34,000 LGBTQIA+ youth ages 13 to 24 surveyed by The Trevor Project in 2022 reported that their community was “very accepting.” The research found that around 30% of young people were physically attacked or threatened with physical harm because of their sexuality or gender identity.

How important is community support? 45% of LGBTQIA+ youth surveyed have seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. The average LGBTQIA+ youth who live in a community or attends a school that accepts LGBTQIA+ people reported significantly lower suicide attempts than those who do not.

River Sprinkle, a non-binary student at UA who uses these pronouns, has words of encouragement for those who have already come out or want to.

“Continue to grow and gain wisdom from the things you encounter, because they are going to happen,” they said.

Sprinkle hopes other students won’t let worries hold them back.

“It’s like when you plant a flower and it blooms in the spring, but you can’t enjoy the beauty of the flower because you’re afraid it will wither when it dies,” they said.

For Sprinkle, moving forward, even in the face of fear, is an integral part of their experience.

‘You may experience something that you are afraid of, but it stops and then you can do the next thing. And if you’re not ready to step through it yet, that’s okay,” Sprinkle said.

A big goal of the event, according to Frampton, is for the campus community to remain open, actively listening and seeking to understand the perspectives, stories and experiences of LGBTQIA+ people.

Everyone has a different story about how they came out as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and how it was received.

Sprinkle has a story to tell about the name River and how they chose it.

Sprinkle wrote a letter to Pope Francis describing their feelings. “I felt like I was constantly changing, like the water in a river, but I was still the same,” the letter said.

For Sprinkle, the analogy was an appropriate way to describe their journey.

“The name or location of that river does not change, but its contents are constantly changing,” they said.

The Pope replied.

In his response letter, Pope Francis said that perhaps River should be their name.

Autumn Frampton, Director of Multicultural Development, would like to welcome everyone to both events – even those who may not identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

She emphasizes that students do not have to identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community to attend both events, hear stories and provide support.

“The event provides a safe and inclusive space where individuals can express themselves freely and connect with others who share similar experiences and/or allies,” Frampton said of the “Coffee, Tea, and Community” event.

“We hope that (by) coming together while enjoying a hot cup of coffee or tea, we can create an atmosphere of warmth and acceptance. We want to celebrate the unique identity within the LGBTQ+ community,” she said.

Frampton hopes members from all corners of the campus community will attend the events.

“I think it’s important to have this visibility on campus so that students can walk by and see that we’re supporting people and not just having those conversations in the classrooms,” Frampton said.

Based on research conducted by The Trevor Project, creating visible community and campus support can save lives.

The “Coffee, Tea, and Community: Celebrating Safe Spaces on National Coming Out Day” event will take place on Friday, October 11 from noon to 1:30 PM in the Jean Hower Taber Student Union International and Piano Lounge. It is free and open to everyone. This will be followed by the ZAB “National Coming Out Day Celebration” from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, also in the International and Piano Lounge. Both events are free.