National Coming Out Day
Today is National Coming Out Day.
Now, more than ever, it is time to take a stand and let family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and people we do business with know that we are gay, we are out and we are proud!
As the LGBT community continues to make major gains in acceptance and tolerance among the American public, evidenced by countless polls and studies in recent years, the work is far from done.
Over the weekend, the news broke out of the Bronx in New York about a horrific crime of homophobic violence as nine gang members were accused of beating, torturing and sexually abusing a 30-year-old man and two teenage boys - simply for being gay.
Anti-gay politicians representing the Tea Party and the Republicans are openly homophobic in their messages of intolerance and hatred in their desperate attempts to get elected.
Right-wing conservative groups like the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) and the Focus on Family use homophobic rants to drum up cash to support their harmful messages.
Families, unable to cope when their gay and lesbian children come out, ship them off to “conversion camps” that are 100 percent frauds, further damaging the self-worth and lives of impressionable children.
In our schools and colleges, anti-gay bullying and harassment is commonplace despite efforts to curb the problem.
It is no wonder that gay and lesbian teens are four times more likely than their straight counterparts to complete suicide. And the media have focused on a rash of teen suicides in recent months from anti-gay bullying and harassment.
So in 2010, National Coming Out Day has greater significance that a celebration of who we are. Now is the time to make a stand for yourself and your community.
Let the world know that you are out, you are proud and you are not going to take it any more!
Source.
Howdy, I'm popehippo, and I am bisexual; I have been out since I was 17, and that was 6 years ago. :)
Now, more than ever, it is time to take a stand and let family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and people we do business with know that we are gay, we are out and we are proud!
As the LGBT community continues to make major gains in acceptance and tolerance among the American public, evidenced by countless polls and studies in recent years, the work is far from done.
Over the weekend, the news broke out of the Bronx in New York about a horrific crime of homophobic violence as nine gang members were accused of beating, torturing and sexually abusing a 30-year-old man and two teenage boys - simply for being gay.
Anti-gay politicians representing the Tea Party and the Republicans are openly homophobic in their messages of intolerance and hatred in their desperate attempts to get elected.
Right-wing conservative groups like the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) and the Focus on Family use homophobic rants to drum up cash to support their harmful messages.
Families, unable to cope when their gay and lesbian children come out, ship them off to “conversion camps” that are 100 percent frauds, further damaging the self-worth and lives of impressionable children.
In our schools and colleges, anti-gay bullying and harassment is commonplace despite efforts to curb the problem.
It is no wonder that gay and lesbian teens are four times more likely than their straight counterparts to complete suicide. And the media have focused on a rash of teen suicides in recent months from anti-gay bullying and harassment.
So in 2010, National Coming Out Day has greater significance that a celebration of who we are. Now is the time to make a stand for yourself and your community.
Let the world know that you are out, you are proud and you are not going to take it any more!
Source.
Howdy, I'm popehippo, and I am bisexual; I have been out since I was 17, and that was 6 years ago. :)