October 11 marked the 25th anniversary of the March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Out of that historic march, in which half a million participated, came the idea to celebrate National Coming Out Day, which is now observed by the LGBT community all over the United States. This day of celebration was brainchild of gay rights activists Rob Eichberg and Jean O’Leary. More recently, the Human Rights Campaign and other gay rights organizations set the themes for each year’s celebration. This year’s HRC theme is “Coming Out Still Matters.”

But each individual tends to mark the day in his or her own way. A local pastor in Wilton Manors calls the celebration “Come Out or Act Out Day,” noting that people who don’t come out “eventually get caught” in the act of deceiving family and friends.

Over the years, various events and activities have been used to celebrate National Coming Out Day. In 1987, artist Keith Haring donated his iconic image of the yellow man coming out of a closet to the cause. In 1991, Geraldo Rivera hosted a coming out TV program, “introducing” celebrities and politicians that few had known about their sexual preference, including Dick Sargent of Bewitched. In 1996, Cher spoke at her first gay rights event. More recently, more allies, such as Hudson Taylor, founder of Athlete Ally, have used the occasion to make a statement in support of gay rights.

Many individuals and members of the media use this day to recount their personal experiences in coming out. This is helpful to encourage and educate those who are still struggling with the experience of revealing their sexual preference. Yet, many now ask whether National Coming Out Day has outlived its usefulness, given that celebrities, such as the WWE’s Darren Young, now seem to “come out” without the usual fanfare and entrapments that are historically associated with such a revelation. Hence, the HRC’s theme, “Coming Out Still Matters,” which is an answer to the skeptics, the answer being that it is still an important and essential cause.

How did you spend National Coming Out Day?

For more information and support, please visit the Human Rights Campaign’s Resource page: http://www.hrc.org/resources/category/coming-out