The phrase ‘coming out’ has a deeply historical origin (Picture: Liberty Antonia Sadler for Metro.co.uk) Today is the 30th annual National Coming Out Day – a day to celebrate the act of coming out as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer. But why do we call it ‘coming out’? Where does the term come from? ‘Coming out’ is short for ‘coming out of the closet’, and is a metaphor that is widely used and accepted by the LGBTQ+ community. It’s considered to be a hugely important moment in someone’s life, a marker of self-acceptance and liberation. The origins of ‘coming out’ date all the way back to 1869, when German homosexual rights advocate Karl Heinrich Ulrichs came up with the idea that disclosing your sexual orientation was a form of self-liberation. This school of thought suggests that hiding your sexuality is a form of imprisonment – being in the closet. The actual phrase ‘coming out’ is said to have originated from a comparison to debutantes in the early 20th Century. Back then, young women from aristocratic families would have ‘coming out’ parties to celebrate their formal entrance into society. The gay subculture adopted this term and re-purposed it. (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk) In the 1950s the term became more widely know after sexologist Evelyn Hooker introduced it to academic circles. Since then it has been used frequently by the LGBTQ+ community and by allies to describe the process of deciding to live openly. The decision to come out is still incredibly difficult for lots of people. Many face homophobia, discrimination and risk losing the support of their family and friends. That’s why National Coming Out Day exists. The annual celebration aims to promote a safer world for LGBTQ+ people to live truthfully and openly. But there’s still work to do to achieve this. The organisers of National Coming Out Day say they still need support and allies to make the transition of coming out safer and simpler. ‘Coming out – whether it is as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or allied – STILL MATTERS,’ the organisers wrote on the website. ‘When people know someone who is LGBTQ, they are far more likely to support equality under the law. Beyond that, our stories can be powerful to each other.’ To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video MORE : Gay and trans students to be turned away from religious schools in Australia MORE : What time is The Bisexual on Channel 4 and who is in the cast? MORE : Black and Asian heritage is being celebrated in a Human Stories exhibition<doc-sep>Troye Sivan famously captured the hearts of YouTube viewers when he publicly came out in 2013. For National Coming Out Day, Sivan shared a new message, in which he describes the act of coming out as “the most pivotal moment in my entire life.” “Speaking up changes hearts and minds and creates new advocates for equality,” he says in the clip. The video was released as part of the rollout for Boy Erased, a drama that follows a teenage boy's experiences as he's forcibly sent to gay conversion camp by his Baptist parents. Boy Erased, which also stars Lucas Hedges and Nicole Kidman, hits theaters on Nov. 2.<doc-sep>
What is National Coming Out Day? scheeler/123 RF October 11th has been recognized as National Coming Out Day since 1988 in the United States. Now — 30 years later — other countries, including Canada, have started to celebrate this day as a way to bring awareness to this sometimes scary, stressful, but important time for LGBTQ people. Find out more about what LGBTQ stands for What is 'coming out?' The term is short for coming out of the closet because often times people who are LGBTQ feel like they are hiding who they truly are. Coming out is when a person acknowledges their identity (gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender or queer) by sharing it with the people they trust and care about. @VisualsOfLife/Twenty20 Why is it important? There are lots of reasons why coming out is important both for those coming out and those who are learning of a loved one’s identity. There are queer superheroes too! Read about 10 LGBTQ comic book characters and why they're awesome! Hiding who you truly are can feel like carrying a heavy weight around. Coming out is a way to release that heavy burden. And because there are still people who don't like or accept people who identify as LGBTQ, it takes courage and strength to say, “this is who I am, and I am proud to be me!” Photo by Ted Eytan licensed CC BY-SA 2.0 Coming out is equally important for friends and family who are learning of their loved one’s identity so they can be there for support. Do you know what a pink triangle means in the LGBTQ community? Find out!