People come out by telling friends, family, and society that they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or as an ally to LGBTQ people. National Coming Out Day began on the 1st anniversary of the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The month of October is also LGBTQ History month.
Wondering what more you can do to support the LGBTQ community? Start with these resources, then check out our interview with Nadine Smith, who attended the 1987 March and co-organized the 1993 March, as well as co-founded LGBTQ civil rights organization Equality Florida.
READ:
“You Can Tell Just By Looking”: And 20 Other Myths about LGBT Life and People by Michael Bronski, Ann Pellegrini, and Michael Amico, for misconceptions and truths from lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people
+ The Letter Q: Queer Writers’ Letters to their Younger Selves, edited by James Lecesne and Sarah Moon
BROWSE:
Human Rights Campaign’s topic resources, coming out stories, and resource guides
+ GLSEN’s resources for students
WATCH:
Coming out videos on YouTube with this list from Wired for direct links to some great ones
+ The PBS collection of LGBTQ-related films, series and short stories
TEACH:
Your kindergarten through twelfth graders using GLSEN’s LGBT-inclusive lesson plans about identity, bullying, and diversity
+ Scholastic's book and resource recommendations for creating an LGBT-friendly classroom library
+ Anti-Defamation League's LGBTQ Pride Month lesson plans
ATTEND:
Battery Park City’s showing of Love, Simon, starting at 7 p.m. on October 11 in Rockefeller Park
+ A poetry reading hosted by the School of Visual Arts for National Coming Out Day from 7–9 p.m. on October 11 in Manhattan
+ New York City Department of Parks & Recreation’s picnic celebration for National Coming Out Day from 2–5 p.m. on October 13 in Staten Island
VOLUNTEER:
With The Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth
+ Share your story with It Gets Better Project
Illustration by Benjamin Tuttle / Ultravirgo
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