Since age 26, Dr. David Wain Coon has been open personally and professionally about his sexual orientation. “I wanted my students to have the role model I didn’t have when I went through my education.”
But his application for the presidency of Evergreen Valley College more than five years ago marked the first time he disclosed his orientation during the hiring process. He decided to do so in the first round of interviews when he was asked by search committee members if he’d ever been discriminated against and how he’d dealt with it.
“I told them that as a gay man, I’ve been marginalized many times,” Coon recalled. “But despite having this pink background behind me, I also have White male privilege and I’ve used that to bridge gaps.”
He said that right after he’d said “gay man,” he intentionally paused and studied the faces of his interviewers. “No one looked away or got uncomfortable. I didn’t lose anyone. This was a good sign. I also think I would have had no cultural capital if I hadn’t come out.”
Coon’s remarks came Thursday during the annual leadership congress of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). The four-day convention, held in San Francisco, offers education and training programs. ACCT is composed of more than 6,500 elected and appointed trustees who govern over 1,200 community, technical and junior colleges.
Among the workshops and panels was a session entitled, “My CEO is Gay! Or Lesbian!?” There, trustees and high-ranking educators of two community college districts discussed the importance of encouraging presidents and chancellors to be open about their being gay or lesbian.
“Secrets can be used against you,” said Rosa Pérez, chancellor of San Jose/Evergreen Community College District. “Secrets can kill.”
