Coming Out from Scranton’s Coming Out Day 

By Edward Fargis – Staff Writer

This Thursday, I attended the S.A.F.E. Foundation’s Coming Out Day event in Collegiate Hall. While it was a small, quaint event, it made up for in liveliness. It was a nice break in between the constant studying of midterms and a few smaller club meetings.  

S.A.F.E. offered various snacks and refreshments surrounding a circle of chairs where those gathered could interact and share stories about the holiday. There was also free swag, flags and stickers so that attendees could take greater pride in their identity. 

The community there was lively as the club’s representatives.  

While many were part of the LGBTQIA+ community, there were other participants that were not but attended the event to support their peers. It sent a message that all are welcome within the community, and one doesn’t need to journey far or have credentials to earn their place within. 

S.A.F.E. also collaborated with the Jane Kopas Women’s Center to host the event. Both LGBTQIA+ and women’s rights are part of the larger civil rights movement throughout history. Even with official things like court rulings, there exists the de facto prejudice that exists, and many of these groups must work together for equality, and events such as this one serves as great venues for this.  

Another part of the coffeehouse event was the several cardboard trifolds detailing the long, international and local history of LGBTQIA+ rights in America.  

When one thinks of LGBTQIA+ history, one should realize it is not just a group of people, but a culture with its own important figures, holidays, and art. In each of the stories posted, there was an individual, be it a celebrity or an ordinary person from somewhere across the nation, who stood up for who they were and had the courage to come out.  

It is inspirational examples and united events like these that are needed to finally enshrine LGBTQIA+ rights in our nation once and for all.