Center for Gender and Sexuality invites campus to connect, celebrate Coming Out Week

Wayne State University's Center for Gender and Sexuality (CGS) has quickly become a vibrant hub for the campus community, bridging academics and research, student services, programming, and engagement.

In the last year, CGS has hosted nearly 100 events and has many more in the works, including WSU's annual Coming Out Week, Oct. 6 to 10. The week, hosted around National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, includes events to support and showcase the WSU LGBTQ+ student and employee communities, while providing space for all Warriors to connect and celebrate their own unique identities. All events are free and open to the entire WSU community.

"We take a broad approach to Coming Out Week, celebrating and educating around LGBTQIA+ issues while also cheering on the different ways people come out around their many identities. This is an exciting opportunity for joy around self-discovery, and we hope that our entire university community will join," said Simone Chess, director of the center, associate professor of English and director of the Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies program (GSW).

Established in 2023, CGS brings together scholars, students and the broader community around the complex and intersectional topics of gender and sexuality while also unifying related campus initiatives. Anchored academically by the interdisciplinary GSW, the center has brought together scholars and students from across campus with related research interests for enhanced collaboration. This fall, the center has three inaugural faculty fellows, whose research projects engage students around gender, sexuality and identity.

"CGS's structure is designed so that faculty can truly connect with students in an accessible, natural way," Chess said. "For students especially, it's important to see how research is connected to the classroom and in their lives in student organizations, preparing for careers, exploring the city, and just generally figuring out who they are and who they want to be. That's what a research university is all about."

In addition to its academic core, CGS aims to provide a welcoming and fun environment for students through resources and programming. Located on the sixth floor of the Student Center Building, the center is adjacent to the Office for Multicultural Student Engagement (OMSE) and provides flexible space for events, workshops, meetings and study. In addition to OMSE, CGS frequently partners with other student-facing groups, including the Dean of Students Office and the Office of Inclusive Excellence.

The center also serves to connect WSU to community organizations with shared values, representing the university at events like Motor City Pride and collaborating with groups like LGBT Detroit, Stand with Trans, Affirmations and others.

"It's incredible the progress we've made to bring people together, and how we've blended research, engagement and community in one place," said Chess. "We want CGS to reflect the inclusive, collaborative spirit of our university, and to further empower advocates and allies on campus."