Penn State York’s Cultural Series continues on Wednesday, Nov. 18 when Josh Nicholas takes to the stage at Penn State York’s Pullo Family Performing Arts Center (The Pullo Center) for “Real Life, I’m Transgender: The Josh Nicholas Story.” The event is set for 6:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public; no tickets are needed.
After starting his transition from female to male in 2010, Nichols began to get involved in advocacy for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) individuals, specifically transgender related issues. His journey has taken him through many highs and lows during his college experience.
“We decided to include Josh as part of our cultural series because this is an important topic that impacts many youth in the York community and our very own students. As a former Penn State student, Josh’s talk will be a great outlet to any of those that are questioning, struggling, or just need to hear a voice of reason and respect from an advocate,” said Dan Puccio, associate director of student affairs at Penn State York, and the cultural series coordinator. “Bringing Josh here in November also coincides with Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), which occurs annually on Nov. 20, and is a day to memorialize those who are no longer with us due to transphobia. TDOR is also a day to draw attention to the continued violence endured by the transgender community,” said Puccio.
A 2015 graduate of Penn State with a degree in psychology, Nichols is visiting many of the University's campuses this fall to speak about transgender identity and his personal story. Nichols enjoys playing basketball, listening to hip-hop music, and writing poetry. He and his wife live in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania.