National Coming Out Day

National Coming Out Day was started in 1988 by activists Richard Eichberg and Jean O’Leary. The date of October 11 was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the second major National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1987, which is considered a pivotal event in the LGBTQ+ rights movement.

The verb phrase come out can be used (and is often interpreted as) a short form of come out of the closet. The association of coming out with the idea of coming out of hiding is rooted in the history of persecution and marginalization of people with non-heteronormative identities—identities they often keep hidden to protect themselves from such mistreatment.

However, another sense of come out, meaning “to make a formal debut in society,” has been used since at least the late 1700s. In the 1900s, this sense started to be applied in the context of participation in drag events modeled on the debutante balls that also used come out in this sense.

National Coming Out Day is often viewed as a time to celebrate individuals’ embrace of their true identities and their bravery in doing so, despite the persecution, rejection, and other challenges that people who come out can face.

This often involves the acknowledgement that coming out can be a time of joy but also vulnerability or a combination of these and other emotions—and that it is more of an ongoing process than a one-time act.