I Want The World To Know: National Coming Out Day

As Lady B (and Diana before her) can tell you, there's never a bad time to let the world know who you really are. And if there's any day thats best, today, October 11, is probably it, as it's National Coming Out Day.

Pop anthems aside, coming out is never easy. We can all remember the anxiety, the indecision, the fear we felt before finally taking the first step and telling someone, anyone, that we weren't quite on the straight and narrow. It's an unforgettable moment, though sometimes it pays to be reminded. Most recently, the coming out of Randy Phillips, a gay soldier (known as AreYouSurprised) to his father on the repeal of DADT was enough to have lots of us reaching for the Kleenex.

Making the confession is scary, which is why today is so important. NCOD started in 1988, on the anniversary of the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. It started in 18 states, grew to 21 states, and now it's celebrated all over the country (as well a seven nations overseas).

There are plenty of ways to show your solidarity: encourage someone who's struggling and direct them to The Resource Guide To Coming Out, throw on something purple (it's never to late for a costume change, folks), or go in for a bit of Facebook activism and donate your status to National Coming Out Day.

--JON ROTH