National Coming Out Day

National Coming Out Day is all about telling stories, recognizing the different moments of being out, celebrating our individuality loud and proud. Each year, I'm reminded how crucial it is to be out, to say to the world that being queer is not a less than, not an other, not a choice. Yesterday, at our Queers and Allies (our campus equivalent of a GSA) meeting, we went around the room telling coming out stories, sharing struggles and celebrations. What struck me most was how raw some of the stories were for people telling them, the struggle and pain still very much a part of their present. And this rawness reminded me how crucial it was to be out, since our stories helped empower each other, helped remind each other that even though our stories are different, the awkwardness, the search, the recognition, and the deep sigh of relief are something that resonates through all our experiences.