Today is International Coming Out Day!

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 23:53:06 -0400
comingoutday, diversityandinclusion, lgbt, lgbtq, umbc, umbcmosaic

As part of LGBTQ+ History Month, National Coming Out Day (NCOD) is an annual LGBTQ+ awareness day observed on October 11 (October 12 in some parts of the world). The initial idea was grounded in the feminist and queer liberation spirit of the personal being political, and the emphasis on the most basic form of activism being coming out to family, friends and colleagues, and living life as an openly LGBTQ+-identified person.

Thirty years ago, on the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) first observed National Coming Out Day as a reminder that one of our most basic tools is the power of coming out. One out of every two Americans has someone close to them who identifies gay or lesbian. For transgender people, that number is only one in ten.

Coming out - whether it is as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning - STILL MATTERS. When people know someone who is LGBTQ, they are far more likely to support equality under the law. Beyond that, our stories can be powerful to each other. (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 get to know a more extensive allyship skills, please check out our SafeZone Allyship Workshops. For other general LGBTQ+ related questions, please contact Carlos Turcios, Coordinator for Student Diversity and Inclusion at carlos6@umbc.edu or lgbtq@umbc.edu.