National Coming Out Day has been observed annually on Oct. 11 since 1988. Founded by psychologist Robert Eichberg and activist Jean O’Leary, the day is meant to celebrate and promote the increased visibility of the
community. “Most people think they don’t know anyone gay or lesbian, and in fact everybody does. It is imperative that we come out and let people know who we are and disabuse them of their fears and stereotypes,” Eichberg said in a 1993 interview, according to his Associated Press obituary. The date of this annual celebration was chosen to mark the anniversary of the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, which drew hundreds of thousands of people to the nation’s capital.
coming-out stories so far this year. Noah Schnapp “Stranger Things” star Noah Schnapp came out as gay in a TikTok video posted in January. In a written message that appeared on the video, the 19-year-old actor revealed that when he “finally told my friends and family I was gay after being scared in the closet for 18 years,” their response was simply: “We know.” Bella Ramsey “The Last of Us” star Bella Ramsey came out as gender-fluid in an interview published in The New York Times in January.
media advocacy group GLAAD defines pansexual as a descriptor for someone “who has the capacity to form enduring physical, romantic, and/ or emotional attractions to any person, regardless of gender identity.” Ncuti Gatwa “Sex Education” star Ncuti Gatwa came out publicly as queer in an interview with Elle UK published in August.