October 11th is national coming out day

By Sal Montemurro, Pulse Webmaster and Staff Writer

        Sal Montemurro

National Coming Out Day takes place on October 11, each year.  The first observation for it was in 1988, and by 1990 it was being celebrated in all 50 states.  It’s a day which raises awareness for individuals in the LGBTQ+ community.  The day champions the idea that homophobia and transphobia thrives on silence.  On this day many people who are LGBTQ+ will either “come out” (the term coming out stems from the phrase “coming out of the closet”), or share their coming out experiences.  The process of “Coming Out” refers to when LGBTQ+ individuals learn to accept their sexual orientation or gender identity and share that information openly with other people they care about.