National Coming Out Day: Share Your Story

For members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community, "coming out" can be one of the most difficult social and emotional experiences. It doesn't happen just once, either — according to the Human Rights Campaign, "coming out" is a journey made every single day to "live openly." 

National Coming Out Day celebrates the process and aims to bring awareness about the difficulties LGBT people face in living openly and equally, as well as the opportunities for support.

The history of National Coming Out Day began on Oct. 11, 1987, when half a million people participated in the march on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. In 1988, Rob Eichberg, a psychologist from New Mexico, and Jean O'Leary, then head of National Gay Rights Advocates, founded National Coming Out Day as a way to mark the occasion and continue the momentum. 

Now, The Human Rights Campaign — the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization — manages the event, with a different theme every year to encourage LGBT people and their supporters to "be visible by living open and honest lives." This year's theme is “Coming Out for Equality.”

“With each passing year National Coming Out Day takes on increased importance,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese in a press release.  “As we celebrate major victories like marriage equality in New York and the repeal of the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, it is important to remember that the more we as LGBT people tell our stories and engage others, the more victories we will achieve”

The Coming Out Project provides resources for LGBT people and their supporters. "Straight allies" can download "The Straight Guide to LGBT Americans" for free. 

What has your coming out journey been like? What have been the most difficult and the most rewarding aspects of the process?

Gay or straight, can you identify with the struggle to "live openly"?  

Share your story in the comments below or email berkeley@patch.com. Happy National Coming Out Day!

Top 5 things to know about LGBT issues from the Human Rights Campaign

1. There are roughly 9 million LGBT people in the US and more than 900,000 same-sex couples.
2. 22% of same-sex couples are raising children according to the US Census.
3. It is legal to fire people for their sexual orientation in 29 states and their gender identity in 35 states.
4. Gay and lesbian couples can marry in 6 states (Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont) and Washington, DC.
5. 9.3 million people work for companies who score 100 percent on HRC's Corporate Equality Index.