Today, October 11, is National Coming Out Day, and it’s a day we need to celebrate. And not just because we’ve gotten the chance to see some of our favorite people come out this year, like Janelle Monáe and Tessa Thompson or hockey player Jessica Platt.
It’s the 30th anniversary of National Coming Out Day. Ok, yes, the political situation today is bleak. But think of how far we’ve come.
On the first National Coming Out Day:
– Marriage equality was not even a topic of serious discussion
– Same-sex parental rights were non-existent
– No federal court had ever protected students from anti-LGBTQ bullying or discrimination
– “Conversion therapy” was not only legal but was an accepted treatment
So yes, with Kavanaugh’s confirmation last week and being under constant fire from the Trump-Pence administration, it feels like we’re up against it right now. But that’s even more of a reason for us to make a statement today. Our very existence is the foundation of our resistance.
On this National Coming Out Day, let’s promise to be sanctuaries for each other. Sanctuaries for those battered by the current administration, sanctuaries for survivors of sexual violence, sanctuaries for those turned away by families and churches.
Maybe you’re so out that you don’t have anyone left in your life to come out to – good for you! But I’d still urge you to post on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, and let your words be a source of strength to someone who may need to see that today.
Remember, together we’re a force so powerful that they can only try to make us invisible again because maybe we won’t realize how many there are of us, and how few there are of them.
Don’t be invisible. Be loud, be proud, and be a force for the world you want to see.
In solidarity,
Kate Kendell, Esq.
NCLR Executive Director
