Tomorrow Oct 11th is National Coming Out Day!

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 10:46:05 -0400
diversityandinclusion, lgbtq, umbccampuslife, umbcmosaic

October is LGBTQA+ History Month. We recognize National Coming Out Day (NCOD) on October 11th. NCOD was founded in 1988 to mark the anniversary of the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. This day is a reminder that - in the fight for equality - one of our most basic tools is the power of coming out and sharing our stories.

For over three decades, thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, asexual (LBGTQA) people and allies have celebrated NCOD through marches, informational sessions, photo-booths, speak-outs, parties and so much more. The overall goal is to show our families, friends, colleagues and the world that LGBTQA+ people are EVERYWHERE, living, loving and thriving.

Coming out - whether it is as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer - STILL MATTERS. One out of every two Americans has someone close to them who identifies as gay or lesbian. For transgender people, that number is only one in ten. Visibility creates advocates and is important in the continued fight for equality and representation. Moreover, sharing your story is an essential part of finding your community and being your true authentic self. (Adapted from the Human Rights Campaign, 2018).

Check out this video to understand the coming out process and what you can do as an ally. To improve your allyship skills, please check out our SafeZone Allyship Workshops. For other general LGBTQA+ related questions, please contact Heidy George, Program Associate for Student Diversity and Inclusion at hmg@umbc.edu or lgbtq@umbc.edu.

Come on out and join UMBC in celebrating these upcoming LGBTQ+ events!

TODAY Oct 10 - National Coming Out Day Barbecue (Hosted by LSU)

Oct 16 - Bagels and Banter Pop-Up #1 Topic: Pronouns and International Pronouns Day!

SafeZone: Multiple Dates, RSVP Here

Check out all other LGBTQA+ events here