October 11, 2021 marks the 33rd year of the National Coming Out Day.
It’s a holiday that celebrates people who’ve decided to “come out of the closet” and genuinely express their identities.
National Coming Out Day was first celebrated in 1988 with the goal to raise awareness of the LGBTQ+ community and its civil rights movement.
It was founded by psychologist Richard Eichberg and gay rights activist Jean O’Leary to mark the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights that took place in 1987.
Years later, it has been celebrated in over 50 states in America, and now, internationally.
Let’s show our support to our LGBTQ+ community. Here are some ways to do it.
Celebrate the holiday with them
You don’t have to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community to show your support.
Celebrate this day by showing your love and respect for the community regardless of anyone’s preferences.
A simple way could be by sharing some celebratory posters on social media, or by adding a National Coming Out Day frame in your Facebook profile picture.
You may also go the extra mile by sending your LGBTQ+ friends care packages such as their favorite ramen, that jumpsuit and mask from their favorite TV series, some skin care products for an extra glow, or a scented candle for a soothing night.
The key is making them feel that you’re in this with them.
You may not fully understand everything they’ve been through coming out, but it always helps to remind them they’ve got someone on their team.
Sometimes just being proud of them for making the move to come out is already more than enough.
Educate yourself
Another great approach to show how much you care for them is to let them know that you understand them, or that you’re doing your best to.
Read up on the history of the LGBTQ+ community for you to know what their community has been through.
You can even start by asking their own personal story. Truly listen to what they’ve gone through, or are currently going through.
Find out how they overcame challenges just so they could be themselves.
Learn to appreciate the fact that coming out is a process that takes courage.
Share to your other friends what you’ve learned and let them know how the LGBTQ+ Community can serve as an inspiration.
Support loved ones who are coming out
There’s no doubt that coming out is hard. For them to be able to accept it internally is already a challenge.
If anybody you know comes out to you, let them feel how admirable they are for them to fully express their gender identity.
Support them a hundred percent. Reaffirm that their gender identity won’t change your relationship with them, and so should their relationship with their other friends.
Continue doing activities you both like. Talk about things they didn’t have the courage to tell you before. All in all, be a great friend – just like the one you have always been.
Of course, it’s best to do these things even after the National Coming Out Day. It doesn’t have to be a holiday for you to show your support.
Learning to accept anybody who comes out should transcend any holiday, and should be practiced everyday.
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