National Coming Out Day (NCOD) is a day of awareness and celebration for the LGBTQ+ community and our allies.
The annual holiday, which takes place on Oct. 11, encourages gays, lesbians, bisexuals, trans people and other members of the LGBTQIA+ community to come out of the closet, which is the metaphor the community has long used to mean recognizing and revealing our authentic selves.
The aim of the holiday is simple: to demonstrate that LGBTQ+ people are everywhere.
Though LGBTQ+ people in the United States have made crucial legal and cultural gains in recent years, we still face significant barriers when it comes to homophobia, transphobia and/or other forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
With literally hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills introduced this year in legislatures in Florida, Tennessee, Texas and elsewhere in the U.S., honoring National Coming Out Day is more important than ever.
"Today we are facing the same challenges that made coming out and visibility imperative: hateful and dehumanizing legislation, court rulings that jeopardize our freedoms and embolden bigots who threaten our safety," Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, the state's largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, told TODAY.com in an email. She added that this year's observation is a "call to resistance" against those who are "manufacturing fear and stoking violence" against the LGBTQ+ community.
Coming out can be both liberating and potentially dangerous due to the violence, prejudice, and discrimination that LGBTQ+ individuals can and do experience. Everyone has a part to play in creating an inclusive environment and ending the stigma against the LGBTQ+ community. Support and inclusion come in many forms, including speaking out against unjust laws and learning how to be an ally.
What is the purpose of National Coming Out Day?
National Coming Out Day encourages LGBTQ+ people to share their authentic selves with others, and to encourage and support other LGBTQ+ people who do the same.
The goal of the holiday is to create LGBTQ+ awareness and visibility.
When did National Coming Out Day originate?
National Coming Out Day was founded on October 11, 1988 by queer activists Robert Eichberg and Jean O'Lear.
The pair chose the date to honor the first anniversary of the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, a groundbreaking event in LGBTQ+ history.
According to his New York Times obituary, Eichberg, who died in 1995 at age 50 of complications from AIDS, said in a 1993 interview, "Most people think they don't know anyone gay or lesbian, and in fact everybody does. It is imperative that we come out and let people know who we are and disabuse them of their fears and stereotypes."
How does an LGBTQ+ person come out?
The coming out process is different for everyone — and because LGBTQ+ people come out so many times over the course of their lives, the process can change as time goes on.
The good news is that resources are available.
The Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ+ advocacy group, has a helpful Coming Out section on its website.
The Trevor Project, a national non-profit organization that supports young LGBTQ people, has written a Coming Out Handbook.
Support Lines to talk to someone:
· Trevor Project: Text START to 678-678 or call (866) 488-7386
· LGBT National Help Center Lines: Call (888) 843-4564
· Youth Talkline: Call (800) 246-7743
· Senior Hotline: Call (888) 234-7243
· Coming Out Support: Call (888) 688-5428 (888-OUT-LGBT)
Is National Coming Out Day an official holiday?
Much like Pride Month in June, National Coming Out Day has been a holiday in the LGBTQ+ community since it was founded in 1988.
As such, it's been honored by world leaders, including President Joe Biden, who issued a statement of support to the LGBTQ+ community on Oct. 11, 2021.
In his message, Biden celebrated the courage of LGBTQ+ people who "live their lives with pride, create community with open arms and hearts, and showcase the strength of being your authentic self."
"Today and every day, I want every member of the LGBTQ+ community to know that you are loved and accepted just the way you are — regardless of whether or not you've come out," he added.
How can I celebrate National Coming Out Day?
While members of the LGBTQ+ community can participate in National Coming Out Day events across the U.S., they can also celebrate by simply living authentically and by encouraging others to do the same.
Allies of the community can also participate by visibly expressing their support of and their love for the LGBTQ+ people in their lives.
CHANNEL Q's CJ Robinson caught up with Dr. Hisam Goueli to discuss this important topic and offer insight for those thinking about coming out and tips on how to support them. Catch their conversation below.
