A group of LGBTQ+ faculty and staff members, formed over the summer, hosted a celebration last week for National Coming Out Day, which was Oct. 11. 

“When we started meeting, it was really to remedy a need for visibility for LGBTQ+ people and National Coming Out Day seemed like a great way to start off,” Tad Andracki, middle school librarian, said.

Mr. Andracki is both a member of EQuATE and the faculty adviser for Prism, the middle school’s LGBTQ+ visibility club.

EQuATE, which stands for Empowering Queer and Trans Employees, provided students, faculty and staff pride pins and cake from the middle school library in support of the LGBTQ+ community and National Coming Out Day. The group also posted a display in Café Lab celebrating prominent LGBTQ+ figures.

“We recognized that there are lots of nationally recognized days as days for LGBTQ+ visibility, and we decided National Coming out day was soon and over cake and celebration was an easy way to start that recognition,” Mr. Andracki said.

EQuATE is broken into two separate sections. According to Diversity Equity and Inclusion Director Priyanka Rupani, the first is for employees who identify as LGBTQ+, and the second is a working group of members of the first group plus allies who want to help increase visibility and awareness throughout the schools. 

Ms. Rupani is an ally. She explained that this event is the first of many planned for the upcoming future and she is very excited to see what the two groups can accomplish. 

National Coming Out Day is celebrated annually on Oct. 11 to commemorate the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights on Oct. 11, 1987.