The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is
celebrating the 30th anniversary of National Coming Out
Day with a powerful digital campaign that includes stories from
celebrities and influencers who have come out over the past year.
The campaign features coming out
stories from Janelle
Monáe,
Kehlani,
Bex
Taylor-Klaus, Brendon
Urie and Alyson
Stoner.
“Coming out can be one of the most
courageous acts an LGBTQ person makes, and that courage is
inextricably tied to our continued progress toward full equality,”
said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Visibility matters, and research
shows that when people know someone who is LGBTQ, they are far more
likely to support full equality under the law. Coming out and sharing
our stories is essential to advancing LGBTQ equality and fighting
back against attempts to turn back the clock on our progress.”
HRC also said that it worked with
Twitter to create a dedicated National Coming Out Day emoji – a
rainbow heart – which is automatically added when a user uses the
hashtag #ComingOutDay.
“With the Trump-Pence
administration's onslaught of attacks on LGBTQ equality, it's as
important as ever to recognize the power of coming out and ensure the
voices of the LGBTQ community are heard – especially at the polls,”
HRC said in a statement.