By Nicholette Leanza, M.Ed, LPCC-S
“The closet does have a benefit. It provides safety. Which at times is important. But remember, as long as you are in there, two other things will be too. Fear and shame.” – Anthony Venn-Brown
October 11th is National Coming Out Day, and it is a day that honors people who chose to come out of the closet as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, non-binary, and gender non-conforming (LGBTQ+). The intent behind this day is to make it more difficult for people to hold homophobic and transphobic views if they have loved ones who identify as LGBTQ+ as well as to increase visibility of this vibrant community.
Celebrities like Lil Nas X, Demi Lovato, Neil Patrick Harris, & Laverne Cox all chose to come out to show the importance of living an authentic life. Coming out can be scary but it also liberates you from the shame and fear of hiding who you are and who you love. It enables you to have more genuine relationships with others and connects you to other LGBTQ+ people.