Why National Coming Out Day is still important

As I sip my green tea and start my day ready to take on the world, a notification pops up on my calendar reminding me it’s national coming out day.

I swipe to dismiss it nonchalantly when I suddenly realize that I have become complacent towards gay issues.

Now I’ve always said that a persons sexuality is not the most important or even interesting thing about them. But gay rights are still a major issue. We have the right to get married, for the most part we are protected from being persecuted at work, we are finally fully recognized human beings.

But coming out is still a major milestone.

With recent events at Pulse and most cities having their gay pride celebrations this month, it’s a good time to realize that in 28 states you can still be fired for being gay. While we’re making strides, most major religions do not accept it. Suicide and homeless rates among gay teens are significantly higher than their straight counterparts. Parents still reject their gay children, friends still turn their backs, people still whisper and use the slang “that’s gay” to mean something bad or stupid.

And yet, despite all of this, every day strong men and women stand up and say that they are not ashamed of who they are. Coming out day is a special time to remember that not everyone is there yet. If someone does come out to you, understand that it is a hard decision and one that they’ve probably struggled with for a long time.

For those of you who are ready to come out with pride, congratulations and good luck on your journey. For those of you not quite ready, that’s ok too. Let’s support our gay brothers and sisters, that’s what community is all about.

Happy coming out day