According to the Human Rights Campaign, 26 percent of LGBTQ+ youth feel their biggest problem is not being accepted by family. This can cause many of the LGBTQ+ community to feel that coming out is a daunting task. Despite this, National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11 motivates members of the LGBTQ+ community to come out of the closet.
“The purpose of National Coming Out Day is to give anyone who wants to come out a day that lets them feel it’s okay, like it is socially acceptable almost, perhaps even to boost confidence about coming out,” said junior Cypress Folk.
However, even with this intention, many members of the LGBTQ+ community are uncomfortable with the day, due to beliefs that it pressures people to come out who may not be ready, or who would not be safe. “National Coming Out Day works a bit against what it stands for. It continues to put pressure on people to come out, when it is not necessary to share that part of you. I believe that National Coming Out Day is good in the sense that it is celebrating the community, but it is also adding extra stress and unneeded pressure,” said senior Jade Walker.
Many of the LGBTQ+ community do not even feel it is necessary to come out, as they feel it is something that is very personal, along with other reasons.
“I have issues with the idea that you need to come out of the closet. Not everyone needs to know your personal identity, and if you are not out, that does not imply that you are keeping a secret, or that you have the responsibility to come out,” said senior Emma Ziegler.
Another common belief is that coming out perpetrates the idea that LGBTQ+ people are different from those who are not apart of the community.
“It’s unnecessary to focus on [coming out] in my opinion, and I almost feel as if it makes the community seem more abnormal. People who are straight don’t need to come out, so why should people who don’t identify as straight or cisgender?” Walker said.