On October 11th, it is important we celebrate all those members of the LGBTQ++ community who are able to celebrate who they are and be proud of their identities. ‘Coming out’ refers to when someone tells people who are important in their lives that they are part of the LGBTQ++ community; some people may be ‘out’ in certain spaces (ex: with friends) but not in others (ex: at work). Some people might not come ‘out’ until much later in their lives, or may come ‘out’ more than once as they embrace different aspects of their identities. We also know that many people, for a variety of reasons, may not be able to ‘come out’ safely (worried about judgement, concerns around family reactions, religious/cultural beliefs, fear of imprisonment/jail). It is never okay to ‘out’ someone without their permission!
Feel free to watch the video above from the Human Rights Campaign for some words of support and encouragement from both people within the LGBTQ++ community, families, and allies. For more insights, try watching Pixar’s SparkShort “Out”, avalible on YouTube and DisneyPlus: