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From My Heart to Yours
Oct. 11th, 2009 07:45 pmToday is National Coming Out Day! A day for lesbians, gay men, bisexual people, transgendered people, and those of us who just call ourselves "queer", to take a step forward and be visible. Not because we want the world to think about sex when you think of us, but because when we are real people — neighbors, doctors, singers in church choirs, grocery baggers, tenants, landlords, animal trainers, professors, pet lovers, parents, children, sisters, brothers — when we are no more unusual than any other five- or ten-percent subset of the population, then we are not demons. We are not scary. We are human.
I am out to all my family, all my friends, my doctors, my apartment manager, my neighbors — to whoever wants to know, really — but there are always further steps to take along the road. Further conversations to have. This is my conversation from the heart, to all of you.
First, I want to say thank you. Thank you to all who have opened their hearts and minds to me, to the ones to whom my being bisexual was no big deal, and to those who have had to overlook serious misgivings to remain friends with an openly queer person. By accepting me for who I am, you teach me to be a more accepting person myself. You are truly the wind beneath my wings, as corny as that sounds. You give me courage to face a world where LGBT people can still be, and are regularly, in some places, condemned, persecuted, denied legal rights, tortured, and even put to death.
For my LGBT friends who still hide their true selves from the world, won't you open your closet doors just a little? Have one heartfelt conversation with one person you can trust. The liberation that comes with being honest about who you are is unparalleled. When I was finally free to tell the world I was queer, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from me.
Just as it takes courage for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to come out, I know it also takes courage to come out as a straight supporter of LGBT equality. For my straight friends, will you stand by me and be vocal about your support for equality? It's the heartfelt conversations we have every day that change hearts and minds. It's the courage to come out as an active voice for LGBT equality that will result in real political and social change.
And for those who don't support equal rights, but nonetheless consider me a friend, will you look in your heart and consider this? In every world religion there is one law that comes through clearly: treat others as you wish yourself to be treated; do nothing to others you would not want done to you. If I am equal in worth to you in the eyes of God, as all people are, then am I not worthy of equal treatment under the law?
For more on National Coming Out day, check out the webpage and videos by the Human Rights Campaign – Conversations From the Heart
I am out to all my family, all my friends, my doctors, my apartment manager, my neighbors — to whoever wants to know, really — but there are always further steps to take along the road. Further conversations to have. This is my conversation from the heart, to all of you.
First, I want to say thank you. Thank you to all who have opened their hearts and minds to me, to the ones to whom my being bisexual was no big deal, and to those who have had to overlook serious misgivings to remain friends with an openly queer person. By accepting me for who I am, you teach me to be a more accepting person myself. You are truly the wind beneath my wings, as corny as that sounds. You give me courage to face a world where LGBT people can still be, and are regularly, in some places, condemned, persecuted, denied legal rights, tortured, and even put to death.
For my LGBT friends who still hide their true selves from the world, won't you open your closet doors just a little? Have one heartfelt conversation with one person you can trust. The liberation that comes with being honest about who you are is unparalleled. When I was finally free to tell the world I was queer, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from me.
Just as it takes courage for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to come out, I know it also takes courage to come out as a straight supporter of LGBT equality. For my straight friends, will you stand by me and be vocal about your support for equality? It's the heartfelt conversations we have every day that change hearts and minds. It's the courage to come out as an active voice for LGBT equality that will result in real political and social change.
And for those who don't support equal rights, but nonetheless consider me a friend, will you look in your heart and consider this? In every world religion there is one law that comes through clearly: treat others as you wish yourself to be treated; do nothing to others you would not want done to you. If I am equal in worth to you in the eyes of God, as all people are, then am I not worthy of equal treatment under the law?
For more on National Coming Out day, check out the webpage and videos by the Human Rights Campaign – Conversations From the Heart
