via the CULE Equity Committee
October 11 is a day that focuses on living openly and honestly for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer/Questioning, and 2 Spirited (LGBTTIQ2S) communities.
The term “in the closet”, refers to members of the LGBTTIQ2S communities who hide their sexual orientation and identities from the people around them for fear of rejection and reprisal.
“Coming Out” therefore is a way to end that silence, to stand up and claim our rights as human beings for dignity and respect through self-declaration.
LGBTTIQ2S rights would not be what they are today in Canada if it were not for activists standing up and challenging the status quo, through increased visibility and demonstrating that our LGBTTIQ2S communities occupy and contribute to every facet of society.
National Coming Out Day is celebrated worldwide, with it’s inception in 1988, a year after the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, which saw over 1 million people demonstrate.
Please celebrate this day and continue our progression to full equality. Hiding is not the answer; if we want equality we cannot have an invisible movement.