Speak Out: National Coming Out Day—to End or Not to End?
Today marks the 29th anniversary of National Coming Out Day [NCOD] (for more information on the celebration, please check our previous post here).
As to be expected, Twitter is inundated with “Happy National Coming Out Day” tweets and various other positive thoughts and encouraging coming out messages and stories. Quite a few were optimistic while there were others whose messages sounded like a cautionary note. Take a look at some below which we lifted for you.
For #NationalComingOutDay and #BHM I gathered black LGBT people to talk about their experiences 💖 pic.twitter.com/7V0PpVPXLU
— Not Again Ben 🙄 (@NotAgainBen) October 11, 2017
In your own time. In your own way. Just remember: you are loved.
We wish you a happy #NationalComingOutDay: be proud of who you are! pic.twitter.com/nZFRfvHabu— ILGA (@ILGAWORLD) October 11, 2017
Coming out is an individual decision, and it’s important to do it in your own way: https://t.co/iP8kVTwBP3 #NationalComingOutDay pic.twitter.com/871v8xcYsh
— NHS Choices (@NHSChoices) October 11, 2017
1. Today isn’t about outing people or having to come out yourself. It’s about raising awareness & sharing stories. #NationalComingOutDay
— Wayne Dhesi (@WayneDavid81) October 11, 2017
#NationalComingOutDay I hope everyone is safe, if you can’t come out yet, don’t. Wait until you’re not in danger, safety is important.
— Jikook are gay asf (@infparmy) October 11, 2017
On the other hand, there’s this article over at The Washington Post by Matthew H. Birkhold—an openly gay assistant professor at Ohio State University—titled “It’s time to end National Coming Out Day.” Birkhold basically tells “gay people everywhere to ‘stop coming out.'” He acknowledges that coming out has its advantages but he asks us to examine whether these outweighs the disadvantages or not.
“Continuing to use the rhetoric of ‘coming out’ reinforces a view that heterosexuality is the norm,” Birkhold added. For him, ‘coming out’ does nothing but say that “gay people are aberrant.” That, “our homosexuality is so different that we must proclaim it; heterosexuality, however, is normal and expected.”
Do you agree with Birkhold’s proposal to stop coming out, guys? Why or why not? For those who experienced coming out before, how was it for you? How did your parents, friends, colleagues, or schoolmates receive your disclosure? Did it do more harm than good? Does coming out still matter?
Having said that, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has put together several resource guides to coming out in addition to some powerful coming out stories. Check it out here.
Share with us your thoughts and stories in the comments section below.
End it. Its silly and useless. Who cares anymore that a guy is a butt faggot or a girl is a carpet muncher
My family & religion never accept my homosexuality.
it’s taboo or they lied to save face.
But you are loved.
End It. They can do that at Pride.
I do not think that we need a National Coming Out Day. “Coming out” is a very personal decision and, if done, should be done in one’s own time. Likewise, “coming out” to oneself is much more important than having to proclaim it to the world.
keep it going.
if you don’t want to participate, don’t.
These days, coming out is solely a political thing. End it.
End It! No-One Cares Who’s Fucking Or Sucking Who Anyway. Also, As Long As Trump’s In Office We Are All Fucked Anyway, As Far As Our Rights Are Concerned! Most “GAY MEN” Will Not Man-Up To Come Out Anyway. Not To Mention The Married, Closeted FAG’S. SAD…………
I think it should continue, knowing that some guys feel that it’s not necessary anymore. In truth we this now more than ever because of the number of people who have become accepting of the LGBTQ Community. And speaking of what is going on in America right now I can be honest and say that give it another 10 to 45 years in the future we’ll see all the diversity. Remember the seeds of diversity start with us
I say end it. You will come out when you are good and ready. Why have the added pressure by coming out on a specific day.
After all the backlash that LGBT has endured, KEEP IT!
Birkhold has revealed what will be an unpopular and ugly truth for many gays. On the one hand many gays say they want equality, but it when it comes to “coming out”, they want to be special, different, superior, or attention whores. None of those lend themselves to equality.