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Posts tagged as “lgbtq+”

Beyond He and She

Accommodating Gender Pronoun Inclusivity and the Rising Enrollment of Trans and Nonbinary Students in Higher Education

By Elysian Alder | Editor-in-Chief

Across the United States, high school and college students are increasingly identifying as transgender or nonbinary, with studies revealing that approximately 2% of high school students and nearly 6% of college students fall somewhere within these identities. About 3% of students specify using pronouns that challenge the traditional binary perspective, like the singular “they/them” and “neopronouns”—a category of new pronouns such as “xe/xem” and “ze/zir” that are used in place of conventional identifiers. This increasing diversity in gender identity among students raises the question of how colleges and universities can effectively accommodate and promote inclusivity for individuals in these communities. read more

Alphabet Soup Panel Highlights LGBTQ Issues

Local advocates discuss public safety, pronouns, and more

By Nicholas Papini
Assistant Editor

MWCC’s Sexuality & Gender Alliance (SAGA) club hosts events and discussion panels throughout the year, including the Alphabet Soup Panel Discussion, which took place last fall. This panel brought to light the lesser known issues the LBGTQ+ community faces, including preferred pronoun usage and public safety.

The panel members included: John Gatto from the Justice Resource Institute; Melissa Manzi, MWCC’s mental health counselor; Kate Milligan and Toni Diaz from Youth Opportunities Upheld, Inc. (YOU, Inc.); and Shane Franzen from Fitchburg State University. The event was hosted by the SAGA club and their advisor, David Iannaccone. read more

Sexuality and Gender Alliance

By Samantha Sykes
Observer Contributor

The Sexuality and Gender Alliance Club (SAGA) has been on campus for at least four years. The club focuses on establishing a community within itself. Most meetings consist of games and other activities that assist with their goal. Members also put effort into understanding and educating themselves about the LGBTQ community.

SAGA holds numerous fundraisers and bake sales throughout the year to help with their finances and establish more of a presence in the college. read more