Event Ideas for National Coming Out Day
Come Out to Family, Friends and Co-Workers.
Make a commitment to be honest about your sexual orientation or gender identity to those who know you. Polls continue to show that people who know someone gay are more likely to support full equality.
Host a Guest Speaker
Invite a speaker or group of speakers with a unique perspective or coming out story to help define what the day represents. This is a great way to present gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender role models to a varied audience — and simultaneously educate and inspire all involved.
Sponsor a GLBT-Themed Lecture and/or Discussion Series
If your National Coming Out celebration is scheduled over the course of a week or a month, this type of series is a great way to inform members of your community about various issues that confront GLBT individuals. Possible topics might include:
- The status of GLBT politics (lobbying vs. direct action, party politics, etc.)
- Political issues concerning the GLBT movement (i.e., the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, marriage, hate crimes, HIV/AIDS funding, adoption)
- The historic and theoretical connections between the feminist movement and the GLBT movement
- GLBT issues and the law
- The international GLBT movement
- GLBT people in history
- GLBT folks in Hollywood
- Homophobia in sports
- Religion and the GLBT community
Set Up an Information Table
A National Coming Out Day information table - at malls, schools or businesses — allows you to distribute information about the importance of coming out. With so much misinformation about the GLBT community, this form of outreach can help turn ignorance into acceptance. (Remember that you may need to get permission to set up your table.)
Hold a Speak-Out or Rally
Maximize your event's visibility by holding a rally in a public area where a diverse audience can participate. Focus on local or national issues, and be sure to invite local media and elected officials.
Come Out to Your Elected Officials
Write letters to your members of Congress and local representatives asking them to support GLBT-friendly legislation. Arrange a letter-writing campaign as part of your National Coming Out Day activities. Make paper, envelopes, pens and sample letter language available to participants.
Show Your Support Through Fashion
Encourage everyone you know to come out in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people by wearing specific clothing items, such as blue jeans or red T-shirts. Wear pink triangles, rainbow ribbons or nametags proclaiming your support. Print commemorative National Coming Out Day stickers for your group or community. Educate everyone in your area about the meaning of these items and symbols.
Run a Visibility Ad
Place an advertisement or an "out list" — a list of openly GLBT staff, students, faculty, community members and co-workers (http://www.lgbtcampus.org/faq/outlist.html) — in a local publication to reveal the true diversity of the GLBT community. Your list should also include supportive straight allies.
Hold an Interfaith Service
Feature numerous faiths to give people the opportunity to share their coming out stories within the context of their religious experiences. Ask a religious leader to deliver a special sermon on the importance of coming out. (http://www.dignityusa.org/solidarity/)
Sponsor a Film or Cultural Festival
This idea is particularly helpful if you are trying to expand your National Coming Out Day celebration beyond Oct. 11. By featuring GLBT-themed films or documentaries (http://www.queerfilm.com/cinemaq/Films/index.html) , you present the cultural richness and talents of the GLBT community. Organize a photo exhibit (http://www.lovemakesafamily.org/) or an art exhibit by prominent GLBT artists, or host GLBT musical performers.
Hold a Queer Prom, Dance or Party
National Coming Out Day is about raising political and cultural awareness about the GLBT community, but it is also about fun! Throw a party to show your pride and to celebrate your freedom to be out. You could sponsor a drag king or queen show, talent show or poetry slam.
Make Your GLBT Community Visible
For example, PRIDE at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington marks National Coming Out Day with a "Honk for Diversity" action where group members stationed at busy intersections hold signs/banners urging passersby to show support for GLBT rights.
Celebrate GLBT History
October is also recognized as Gay and Lesbian History Month — providing a great opportunity to share GLBT history that has been hidden for too long. Trace and exhibit the history of the GLBT movement, your local organization, employee group or your campus GLBT group. Display photographs and biographies of famous GLBT people.
Construct a Closet
Enlist some handy-women or -men to design and construct an actual closet door, and invite the community to literally "come out of the closet" at your event. Take pictures of people exiting the closet and raise funds for your group by charging for each photo.
Chalking on Campus
Many college GLBT groups chalk phrases, poetry and pro-GLBT statements on sidewalks to send positive messages about coming out. Check with your school to find out what the guidelines are on your campus.
Hold a Book Drive
Many city and grade school libraries lack books by and/or about GLBT people. Celebrate National Coming Out Day by collecting books and donating them to your local library. If the library isn't willing to accept your donation, consider giving the books to a GLBT community center, high school gay/straight alliance or youth group.
Come Out in Support of Others
At times, the GLBT community is accused of being unconcerned about issues that aren't gay-related. Use National Coming Out Day to show that "we're here, we're queer and we care about others." A canned food drive, clothing drive or highway clean up project initiated and executed by out community members is a powerful image.
Host a Diversity Training
Hold panels at residence halls or for local teachers and guidance counselors. National Coming Out Day is a good time to answer questions and spark dialogue among peers, student teachers and already working teachers.
The National Coming Out Project is always looking for new event ideas to share with the world. Please e-mail your suggestions to ncop@hrc.org.
Whatever you do for your National Coming Out Day celebration, please be sure to send the National Coming Out Project a copy of any flyers, programs, news articles, and/or photos describing your event(s) so we can have a record of all the fabulous ways everyone has celebrated the day. Thanks!
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