National Coming Out is celebrated every year on October 11 in order to honour the members of the LGBTQ+ community who stepped into their true selves in front of others- also known as coming out of the closet. This day is dedicated to the celebration of this act and to creating awareness about homophobia that still persists in society, which hinders a lot of people from expressing their sexuality openly and without any prejudices from other people. 

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“National Coming Out Day exists to promote a safe, inclusive and loving world where LGBTQ+ people can live truthfully, openly and without fear. Coming out isn’t something you do once — it’s a decision that we make every single day of our lives. Whether it’s for the first time ever or the first time today, coming out can be a challenging journey, but it’s also a brave decision to live authentically,” said Joni Madison, interim president of the Human Rights Campaign.

This day was first observed in the year 1988, and by the year 1990, it was being celebrated in all 50 states in the US. 

This particular day, October 11 was chosen to mark the first anniversary of the second major National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, which first took place in 1987. Around half a million people participated in this march, which is nearly five times the size of the first march in 1979.

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The idea of declaring this day as Nation Coming Out Day was proposed by Rob Eichberg and Jean O’Leary. Eichberg founded a personal growth workshop, The Experience, and at the time, O’Leary was the head of National Gay Rights Advocates.

The Human Rights Campaign has chosen the theme for this day for the last 15 years. 2013 and 2014 were both themed ‘Coming Out Still Matters’ while the 1999 theme was ‘Coming Out To Congress’. 

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Each year there are different spokespersons assigned, with some notable names being actor Dan Butler and Candance Gingrich. 

This day is a celebration of the individual identity and the diversity that it bears. According to the Human Rights Council, hate and homophobia thrive in silence. This day aims to unify people, transcending their differences and coming together to fight the hate that persists in society.