The Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the LGBTQ+ Center will host "Raising a Superhero," presented by Wayne M. Maines, nationally-recognized speaker and proud father of identical twins Jonas and Nicole, March 31 at 7 p.m.
Maines and his wife Kelly have worked extremely hard to raise their children in an environment that is not ready for a new generation of transgender children. His goal is to introduce the world to transgender children and rights and to provide a safe environment for transgender children and adults to grow, learn and live without the threat of harm.
His family’s story is featured in “Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family,” which is a New York Times Notable Book named one of the 10 Best Books of the Year by People magazine, one of the Best Books of the Year by Men’s Journal, a Stonewall/Israel Fishman Non-Fiction Award Honor Book and a 2015 Discover Great New Writers Award Finalist/Non-Fiction.
The Washington Post describes it as “the inspiring true story of a transgender girl, her identical twin brother, and an ordinary American family’s extraordinary journey to understand, nurture and celebrate the uniqueness in us all.”
Maines, an Air Force veteran and a WVU alumnus (‘88), has been a safety professional for more than 20 years. His entire career has focused on motivating people to be safe and to embrace equality in corporate America and higher education. He has conducted training for the FBI, the Department of Justice, Harvard Medical School, the Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission and colleges and businesses across the nation.
Register to attend the online event.