From a pop-up thrift shop where students can swap, donate, or take clothes that fit their identity to allyship trainings in the month of October, the Worcester State community has lots of opportunities to build a supportive and inclusive environment together.
LGBT History Month celebrates the achievements of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and communities and honors the history of their battles for civil rights. Worcester State will support its mission of promoting a sense of belonging for its LGBTQIA+ community with two trainings, on Oct. 8 and 29 open to all students, staff, and faculty.
The Oct. 8 Allyship Training will cover basic terminology, key concepts, and resources for allies to support the LGBTQIA+ community. The Oct. 29 Beyond the Binary Training will take a deeper dive into the topics covered in the Allyship Training. Both trainings will take place 2-3 p.m. in Sullivan 108.
The trainings were created in spring 2024 by Alison Park, assistant director of the LGBTQIA+ Resource Center and deputy Title IX coordinator, to address the specific needs of the university. “The Allyship Training aims to teach everyone how to be welcoming and supportive in realistic ways for the LGBTQIA+ community at Worcester State,” Park said.
The trainings will cover key concepts such as deadnaming, gender identity and gender expression, outdated terminology, best practices for transgender and non-binary identities, and tokenism. They will cover case studies addressing acts of discrimination and harassment and the type of support services that can be accessed if those acts occur.
Park hopes that these trainings will promote a sense of belonging for the university’s LGBTQIA+ community by spreading awareness. She also hopes that these trainings will help make the university’s LGBTQIA+ students—who are, in many ways, more vulnerable than their counterparts—safer. “Prevention education can help alleviate the root issues,” Park said, “and understanding how to best support the LGBTQIA+ community is an integral start to making sure that happens.”
All students, faculty, and staff are welcome to request LGBTQIA+ Resources Training, Allyship Training, and/or Beyond the Binary Training whether for a group, organization, or department by reaching out to LGBTQIA@worcester.edu.
Other events this month include:
Oct. 11, National Coming Out Day – 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Visitors to Sheehan Dining Hall can get their own rainbow cupcake to celebrate.
Oct. 17, Spirit Day – All day. Giveaways for people who tag @woostatepride on Instagram with a photo of themselves wearing purple. Information on this anti-bullying day can be found at the LGBTQIA+ Resource Center.
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