October is LGBT History Month, where each year the history and achievements of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are celebrated.
This occasion began in 1994 when Rodney Wilson, a Missouri high school teacher, believed that a month should be dedicated to the celebration of gay and lesbian history, and October was chosen to coincide with other existing traditions.
Oct. 11 is Coming Out Day. It's an annual observance dedicated to celebrating and supporting individuals in the LGBTQ+ community as they share their authentic selves with the world. This day aims to raise awareness about the importance of coming out, challenge stereotypes and prejudices, and promote acceptance and inclusion.
The Center for American Progress (CAP) reports the queer community and other “sexual and gender diverse" people experience structural and interpersonal discrimination that adversely affects their well-being and drives disparate outcomes across crucial areas of life.
The current patchwork of nondiscrimination laws in states across the country and existing gaps in federal civil rights laws leave millions of LGBTQ+ people without protection from discrimination, says the Center.
The Biden-Harris administration, since the beginning of its tenure, has taken numerous actions across executive agencies to bolster nondiscrimination protections in federal regulations. A timeline of legislative action and protections can be found here.
Simultaneously, state attacks explicitly targeting the rights of LGBTQ+ people have surged in recent years. In 2022 alone, state lawmakers introduced more than 300 bills targeting the rights of queer people—especially LGBTQ+ youth and transgender people.
CAP warns the discriminatory policies are inextricably linked to and contribute to a rise in extremist anti-LGBTQ+ and, specifically, anti-transgender rhetoric, disinformation and violence.
The Trevor Project explains it may take time for people to come out, and for many, coming out doesn’t just happen once. There is no one way to come out or be out.
The nonprofit says, "A lot of folks find themselves coming out at different times to different people: with a few friends online, with trusted family members or just one person in their life... After thinking it through, you may decide to be out to yourself, but not to anyone else — and that’s okay. Many people choose not to come out to others for different reasons. You are valid and deserve support no matter what."
The Trevor Project offers The Coming Out Handbook to help people explore what coming out means to them with tools and guiding questions.
This includes gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, sexual attraction, romantic attraction, emotional attraction and coming out considerations.
