Photograph by Kevin Clifford
Will you wear the pink triangle? 
by Jessica Pacheco on 11 Oct 2007
For those who don't know, today October 11th, is "National Coming Out Day"
According to the Human Rights Project, America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality, released that this year's theme is "Talk about it."
I really condone this type of affair, holiday or what have you to be honest. I have always had a problem with labels, as they lead to stereotypes but I digress. My point - which will come I swear - is that you can't argue a good thing.
Yet, I used to think it was unrealistic to assign a specific day to something that takes years to even accept. I mean, does anyone actually come out on Coming out day? I envisioned this booth in the middle of campus where you'd walk up, confess you were gay and recieve a goody bag to start your new life.
That was pretty ignorant of me. Even if it was sort of metaphorical.
As any sexually curious student would know, coming out can range from an impossible leap - to just a casual conversation. It really varies and it's so incredibly fundamental that it does. Just as there should be no rules to sexuality, there should be no rules to coming out about it either.
And even if you're not a sexually curious student, you could only imagine how hard it would be to confess something like that.
It's accepting a new part of you such as a new organ. It is your identidy and so if not taken gently can hurt more than heal. That being said, I think the idea behing coming out day, and It's theme of "talk about it" isn't about coming out today - It's about coming out for you when the time is right and this date just serves as motivation. It's also a day for people to be supportive of sexuality issues.
More so, I know that not everyone can agree on GBLT rights, and even though it may seem ridiculous in today's society, it would be hypocritical to deny people their own opinons, when in doing so yourself is rendering you guilty of the same crime. I do agree though that in the short span of time that we are here, we should live happily and as we want to. I don't know if anyone can argue against that [Am I setting up the challenge?]
The HRC, which can be found here is the go-to for information on coming out and many other GBLT issues. I think it's a great site to become familiar with.
So, in conclusion, Happy Coming Out Day. :]
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Gay! said on 11 Oct 2007 05:15 pm:
this article is really gay. ^_^
