National Coming Out Day is Sunday, October 11th, 2015.

National Coming Out Day is a time to celebrate gay pride, and many people pick this day to come out to their parents, friends, co-workers and themselves. National Coming Out Day was founded in 1988 by Jean O’Leary, an openly gay political leader from Los Angeles and then head of the National Gay Rights Advocates and Robert Eichberg, a psychologist from New Mexico,  founder of the personal growth workshop, The Experience. October 11th was chosen because it is the anniversary of the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.

1978 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights

1979 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights

Supporting your friends when they come out with these simple tips:

• Thank them for telling you. Talk about how you are glad they felt comfortable enough to come to you.
• Listen! Let them talk and get everything out that they need to say.
• Share your similar experience if it helps your friends current situation
• Be patient with them. They will be going through a roller coaster of emotions.
• Ask them questions.
• Do not tell others. Even though they may have come out, they may not have come out to everyone yet. They may only come out to friends and/or close family members, but not to everyone at work for example.
• Lean about FLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). FLAG is an organization that has invited parents and family members of gay kids to find support, meet others like them, become more educated about the LGBT people in their lives.