National Coming Out Day 2008 (+)
by: Pam Spaulding
Sat Oct 11, 2008 at 07:30:00 AM EDT
http://pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=C5BE177DC678100CCF27D3BA35AE07FA?diaryId=7476 (http://pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=C5BE177DC678100CCF27D3BA35AE07FA?diaryId=7476)
October 11 is National Coming Out Day.
We may be winning the culture war one day at a time (see the marriage equality ruling in Connecticut on Friday), but not everyone has the option of coming out of the closet in this country --
* Without ENDA, LGBT citizens can be fired from a job where there are no local anti-discrimination protections.
* We most certainly see members of the community get the crap beaten out of them or worse in many parts of the country
* and it goes without saying if you have anti-gay parents and you're not yet 18 (or are dependent on them for support), coming out is probably a really bad idea unless you are prepared for the consequences of them taking the news badly.
That said, coming out is the most powerful thing one can do, but it cannot be done in isolation; straight allies have to be willing to publicly defend their gay friends and acquaintances.
and http://www.bilerico.com/2008/10/national_coming_out_day_2008.php (http://www.bilerico.com/2008/10/national_coming_out_day_2008.php)