28 years ago, on the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, the HRC first observed National Coming Out Day as a reminder that one of the LGBTQ community’s most basic tools is the power of coming out. One out of every two Americans has someone close to them who is gay or lesbian. For transgender people, that number is only one in 10.
Whether it’s coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or as an ally, countless American actors, athletes, musicians and YouTube sensations advanced the movement for equality in 2016. In honor of National Coming Out Day, here are a few of the standout coming out moments in pop culture in the last year including inspiring words from Trey Pearson, Alexis G. Zall, Shawn Balentine, Amandla Sternberg, Gus Kenworthy, Nyle DiMarco, Elena Delle Donne, Rebecca Sugar, Lilly Wachowski, Michael Angelakos, Holland Taylor, Colton Haynes, Mara Wilson, Keke Palmer, and Brendan Jordan.
Visit HRC’s National Coming Out Day for tools and resources you can use for living out and openly.
