‘A space for everybody.’ National Coming Out Day celebrated in Penns Valley

Rainbow flags, balloons and booths filled the Penns Valley Elementary cafeteria Tuesday night for National Coming Out Day.

Students, parents and community members browsed booths full of free pins, gender-affirming clothes and information on LGBTQ topics. The ACLU, Free Mom Hugs, Centre County Youth Service Bureau and more were present at the event. Local politicians, elected leaders and faith leaders spoke, sharing support and urging attendees to vote in the upcoming election.

Susan Marshall spoke on behalf of Centre LGBTQA Support Network, which hosted the event, about the importance of National Coming Out Day and the continuous process of coming out.

“This is important because homophobia and inequality love silence,” Marshall said. “That’s how those things grow. They grow in silence.”

There had been talk about moving the event to State College this year but organizers and students agreed to keep the celebration in Penns Valley. Crab Ewaskiewicz, a Penns Valley student, wrote a letter to the CLSN, expressing the importance of representation in rural communities like Penns Valley.

“I hope that a lot of other people start finding their home in diversity club and maybe not even see a city as an escape anymore because they want to stay in the rural areas they grew up in,” Crab Ewaskiewicz said.

During the event, community members and students shared their own stories and experiences with coming out or being part of the LGBTQA community. For students, the support of community members is vital, organizer Beth Cottrell said.

“It’s important for kids to see that other members of the community are allies or are the same as them,” Cottrell said. “It’s really important for kids to find their community and share community and that’s what we’re hoping to do here.”

Despite several protesters at last year’s event, attendees said progress is evident. The Penns Valley Diversity Club continues to grow, from about 8 members to over 30 this year. Organizer Melanie Morrison spoke about the importance of these events for Penns Valley students and how they contribute to the growth of the diversity club.

“The important thing is just to keep reasserting that this is a public school and by virtue of it being a public school is to be a space for everybody,” Morrison said.

Sam Ewaskiewicz, Crab’s sister and a Penns Valley senior, said although the diversity club has grown, overall acceptance from her peers is lagging behind.

“The overall awareness and acceptance of the majority of the student body hasn’t changed very much,” Sam Ewaskiewicz said. “I would say that there’s been a lot of change as far as the administration and the teachers and the community.”

Still, attendees expressed hope for the future and are thankful for the community they’ve found in Penns Valley.

“It’s hard to be this way and in a place like this, but we’re surviving,” Sam Ewaskiewicz said. “We’re making it through where we are and we’re stronger every day. Things are getting better and I believe that one day they will be awesome.”