National Coming Out Day is Oct. 11 and is a significant time for the LGBTQIA+ community. Since 1988, National Coming Out Day has served to honor people of various gender identities and sexual orientations who come out and live openly.
If you’re a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, National Coming Out Day is the perfect time to show the world who you are. If you’re an ally, the day is a great time to demonstrate your support for LGBTQIA+ people. If you’re unsure about how to express your LGBTQIA+ identity or support, here are five options to consider.
Watch LGBTQIA+ television shows or movies
TV shows and movies featuring queer characters are important for the LGBTQIA+ community. Watching one or more on National Coming Out Day is an excellent way to showcase your support for the LGBTQIA+ community, your place in it or both.
Popular queer TV shows are “Heated Rivalry,” “Pose,” “Fellow Travelers,” “Killing Eve” and “Vigil.” A few movies are “But I am a Cheerleader,” “Pride,” “Call Me by Your Name” and “I Saw the TV Glow.” They can be found on numerous streaming platforms, including Hulu, Peacock, Amazon Prime, Disney+, FuboTV, HBO Max and Netflix.
Post on social media
A huge aspect of National Coming Out Day is supporting queer people who are coming out and being themselves. An excellent way to demonstrate your LGBTQIA+ identity or support is posting on social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.
You don’t have to make a huge post to showcase your support. Creating or reposting a simple “Happy National Coming Out Day” flyer is enough to warm the hearts of LGBTQIA+ viewers. If you’re a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, you can design a post about your gender identity, sexual orientation or both.
Hang a pride flag
If you don’t use social media or don’t feel like watching TV, you can always take advantage of pride flags, which are ubiquitous.
Lots of businesses and homeowners use them to signal their acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community. If you feel like decorating your house or business with a pride flag, feel free to hang one outside your door or even your window.
They’re really cheap, and they’re an amazingly simple way to share your pride and support.
Attend pride events or rallies
Some people think pride events only happen during Pride Month in June. However, some cities dedicate time to hosting pride events on National Coming Out Day. For example, New York City is hosting National Coming Out Day: Every Coming Out Story Matters at the Stonewall National Monument. The event gives attendees the opportunity to share their LGBTQIA+ experiences while bonding with other queer people.
If there are no pride events happening in your hometown on National Coming Out Day, create your own. It can be as simple as having an LGBTQIA+ book talk or inviting queer people to have coffee with you.
Make LGBTQIA+ baked goods
Do you love to bake cookies, cakes or brownies? If yes, you should consider choosing a pride-themed recipe.
You can show off your pride with just a few simple decorated touches. For example, if you love adding vanilla frosting to your cookies, take out the food coloring and create rainbow frosting instead. You can even decorate baked goods that resemble one or more of the LGBTQIA+ flags.
There’s no better time to be proud of the LGBTQIA+ community than National Coming Out Day. As it gets closer, consider one or more of these ideas to let your pride and acceptance shine.