Event: October 11: National Coming Out Day.
Overview: Every October, students in schools across the nation celebrate National Coming Out Day with assemblies and rallies. National Coming Out Day was established in 1988 following the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.
Action: Organize a rally or event in support of National Coming Out Day and include the history about why it was established; organize a celebration for Coming Out Day within your GSA/QSA-related club.
Quick Lesson Steps:
- Questions to Ask: What does ‘coming out’ mean? Why is coming out important?
- Show / Do:
a) Tell the history of National Coming Out Day: National Coming Out Day commemorates the first and second national marches on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights that both took place in October. In 1979, the first march on Washington took place on October 14 and drew about 100,000 people. They marched to demand that Congress and the President pass a comprehensive lesbian and gay rights bill, to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, and to protect lesbian and gay youth from discrimination. The Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights took place in 1987. The march was led by Cesar Chavez, Eleanor Smeal, Jesse Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg and many others. It was estimated that 200,000 people attended to call for an end to discrimination against gay and lesbian people and to call for more federal money for AIDS research. Buffy Dunker, an 82-year-old grandmother who came out when she was 70 and attended the march, stated: ”We are here today to show America and the world that the gay movement is larger, stronger and more diverse than ever…we are sending a message to our leaders here in Washington that gays are a united force that will have to be reckoned with. And we will be persistent and unrelenting in our pressure.” A year later, in 1988, Robert Eichberg and Jean O’Leary established the first National Coming Out Day. O’Leary was one of the first openly gay delegates to the Democratic Party Convention in 1976 and organized the meeting about gay and lesbian issues in the White House in 1977. Eichberg was a psychologist, author and gay activist who wrote the book, Coming Out: An Act of Love. Eichberg explained why coming out is important: “Most people think they don’t know anyone gay or lesbian, and in fact everybody does. It is imperative that we come out and let people know who we are and disabuse them of their fears and stereotypes.” b) Show video(s): Make History This National Coming Out Day! [1:27 min];
Other videos that could be shown: History of Coming out (2017); It Gets Better Project Videos - Reflection: Why is it important that coming out is one’s own personal decision? What are other ways to help combat stereotypes other than coming out? Why is it important to support LGBTQ people from all backgrounds, including undocumented LGBTQ people?
Background:
National Coming Out Day commemorates the first and second national marches on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights that both took place in October. In 1979, the first march on Washington took place on October 14 and drew about 100,000 people. They marched to demand that Congress and the President pass a comprehensive lesbian and gay rights bill, to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, and to protect lesbian and gay youth from discrimination.
The Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights took place in 1987. The march was led by Cesar Chavez, Eleanor Smeal, Jesse Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg and many others. It was estimated that 200,000 people attended to call for an end to discrimination against gay and lesbian people and to call for more federal money for AIDS research. Buffy Dunker, an 82-year-old grandmother who came out when she was 70 and attended the march, stated: ”We are here today to show America and the world that the gay movement is larger, stronger and more diverse than ever…we are sending a message to our leaders here in Washington that gays are a united force that will have to be reckoned with. And we will be persistent and unrelenting in our pressure.”
A year later, in 1988, Robert Eichberg and Jean O’Leary established the first National Coming Out Day. O’Leary was one of the first openly gay delegates to the Democratic Party Convention in 1976 and organized the meeting about gay and lesbian issues in the White House in 1977. Eichberg was a psychologist, author and gay activist who wrote the book, Coming Out: An Act of Love. Eichberg explained why coming out is important: “Most people think they don’t know anyone gay or lesbian, and in fact everybody does. It is imperative that we come out and let people know who we are and disabuse them of their fears and stereotypes.”
Resources:
- Article: First March on Washington (1979)
- Article: 200,000 March in Capital to Seek Gay Rights and Money for AIDS (New York Times, October 12, 1987. Second March on Washington)
- Video: 1987 LGBT March on Washington Highlights [2:22 min – some swearing]
- Article: 6 Considerations For Queer Youth Coming Out
- Article: When Someone Comes Out To You: Do & Don’t
- Resource page: Coming Out As You
