Adam Lambert, Ellen DeGeneres and
Melissa Etheridge were among the LGBT celebrities who on Wednesday
recognized National Coming Out Day, the annual LGBT awareness day
first observed in 1988.
Singer Melissa Etheridge promoted a
letter she wrote to herself, part of a campaign asking queer
celebrities to write a note to their younger selves.
In her letter, Etheridge advises her
younger self to start loving herself as much as she wants others to
love her.
“So start now – loving yourself,
finding yourself attractive. Finding yourself witty and fun, and all
those things that you are looking for someone else to make you feel.
Because believe me, in the end, it is only yourself who's going to
make you feel those things,” she
wrote.
In an Instagram post, television
journalist Thomas Roberts said that coming out was the best gift he
ever gave himself. “My name is Thomas Roberts & I officially
came out to my Mom on October 5, 1999,” he wrote.
Singer Adam Lambert recognized National
Coming Out Day by captioning an image of himself: “Happy
#nationalcomingoutday! Live your truth!”
Ellen DeGeneres told her daytime talk
show audience that today was the day to come out. “You don't have
to. Like, if you're not gay don't do it. … I'm celebrating because
I'm happy that I did it.”
Olympian Gus Kenworthy advised people
to come out only when they're ready.
“Important: Only come out when you
are ready to – in your own time, on your own terms and in an
environment where it's safe for you to do so. [Rainbow heart
emojis],” he wrote on Instagram.