Anyone have plans for National Coming Out Day? I began my coming out process this past spring. You can read about my story here. I've pretty much been "stalled" since then. I am planning on taking a big step on Tuesday. Here's the email that I am going to send to some of my close friends from high school and college. I am still finalizing "the list" of who's getting this email. I'll let you know how it goes. :icon_wink Today is National Coming Out Day. For those of you who are not aware, National Coming Out Day is an internationally observed civil awareness day for coming out and discussion about gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people (LGBT). It is observed by members of the LGBT communities and their supporters on October 11 every year. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to share something about myself that I've kept hidden for a long time. I am writing you because you are, or were at some point, an important part of my life. Even if we haven't been in touch for a while, I still consider you to be important to me. The reason I am writing is to tell you that I'm gay. I've known for a very long time. Looking back on my life I can see that I've known on some level all my life but I definitely realized it and came out to myself the summer after my junior year in college. Never did i wish i was straight, it's just something that I've chosen to ignore and hide for the past 12 years. I am hoping this is no big deal to you. I am very fortunate to have loving, supportive, and accepting people in my life like you, and I hope that doesn’t change. It really is only part of who I am. I am still the same old Laurie. Nothing has changed except for the fact that I can no longer be afraid to show people who I truly am. The last year or so has been hard as I have been preparing to share this part of my life with people, but I have a feeling the hard part is over and now I can just be me. I told a few select people in my life back in the spring of this year and they have been very supportive. It's time that other important people in my life know. Maybe you’re surprised. Maybe you’ve always suspected it. Maybe you’re disappointed. Maybe you don’t care. All I ask is that you support me like you always have. I will leave you with a quote from one of my favorite authors right now, Brene Brown. Her work on vulnerability, shame, connection has transformed my thinking and my life in the past month or so. "Our lives are a collection of stories – truths about who we are, what we believe, what we come from, how we struggle, and how we are strong. When we can let go of what people think, and own our story, we gain access to our worthiness – the feeling that we are enough just as we are, and that we are worthy of love and belonging. If we spend a lifetime trying to distance ourselves from the parts of our lives that don’t fit with who we think we’re supposed to be, we stand outside of our story and have to hustle for our worthiness by constantly performing, perfecting, pleasing, and proving. Our sense of worthiness lives inside of our story. It’s time to walk into our experiences and to start living and loving with our whole hearts." I hope this email finds you well. Have a wonderful day!! Love, Laurie
I like the idea, but I think it needs to be emphasized that people should only come out if they feel safe or comfortable doing so. Some younger people feel pressured because it's a "national day"; if they feel it's safe to do so, more power to them, but they shouldn't out themselves just because they feel they should. Good letter, at any rate! :]
Well written letter! I'm debating coming out to some of the last people on my list on National Coming Out Day. However, I'm not sure that I'll be ready in just a few days to tell them, so we'll see. At the very least, I know my university's LGBT club is putting on some events during the week, and I'll be participating in most (if not all) of those. And I do agree with seeksanctuary - nobody should feel pressured to come out just because it's the national day to do so. You should only come out when you feel the time and situation are right.
That's a nice letter ^.^ I figured I'd just wear a pride flag around school that day. It's not like I've kept it a secret but maybe I'll help somebody else come out.
Oh I most certainly have plans for October 11th! When I started my coming out process, I didn't think it would take this long to take the final step and change my FB "Interested In" and post a note which would be my general "Coming Out Story." I was fully under the impression that I'd be done by the end of May, so I wouldn't get to participate in NCOD (as someone coming out, rather than someone who has been out). However, things took longer than planned, so the 11th is the big day that all my FB friends get to find out, and I set fire to my closet!
i have none. i don't plan on coming out the closet anytime soon. it might take me awhile to foster up the courage to do such.
Origionally I was going to do so (esp. tell my mum), but I have already told everyone I want for the moment so I guess not.
My school's GLBTQ organization is having Coming Out Week activities, most of which I'll go to. Luckily, my best friend (who was the first person I came out to this summer) is planning on coming along with me to some of the events. I have only been able to go to the organization's first meeting of the semester back at the beginning of September, so I'm hoping to meet more people. On Monday one of the events is a t-shirt making activity (you bring the shirt, they supply the paints, etc.). I'm planning on making a shirt up that will assist in coming out to friends in class on Tuesday. The phrase I'll put on it is a bit of an inside joke amongst my friends, so setting a light-hearted mood will initially set the stage. Then, the inevitable questions of "why did you go through the effort of making that shirt?" or "where did you make that shirt?" will proceed into me mentioning my making the shirt at the GLBTQ organization's activities. Then the big reveal!
That's a really well written letter Best of luck! Haha I've always wanted to just flirt with guys until they (and other people around) are forced to ask. It just seems much more fun that way :eusa_danc
Um, isn't this the day when you're supposed to wear purple, too? I felt so bad last October that I didn't know about it and all my friend were asking me "Why aren't you wearing purple??" I just blinked at them and responded "....Was I supposed to...? O-o" It seems I'm always a year too late for these kinds of things...Day of Silence, too, I had never ever heard of it until April 15th my freshman year none of my friends were talking to me! XD It's so weird--it's the biggest thing at my school the actual day, but it's kept really hushed up prior. =.=
I will be announcing to my college class that I am gay, since it's a Tuesday there's plenty of oppurtunities, I plan on telling my parents next year though, my dad's a bit homophobic, so I haven't had time to plan anything for this year in regards to that
I think that is the 20th of October. ---------- Post added 8th Oct 2011 at 04:37 PM ---------- I am going to try to come out to my younger brother on the 11th. I hope all goes well.
