When is national coming out day in 2023

National Coming Out Day is an important part of the LGBT+ calendar and it takes place in the second week of October.

National Coming Out Day was first celebrated back in the late 80s and aims to bring awareness the how LGBT+ people often have to navigate the tricky process of coming out to the people around them. Of course, many LGBT+ people face multiple coming outs over their lifetimes.

Coming out is a process by which LGBT+ people tell co-workers, schoolmates, family or friends that they are non-heterosexual. You can read some great tips on how to come out over at THEGAYUK.

It was first celebrated or marked in the USA 1988 by Robert Eichberg and Jean O’Leary and the official logo was created by artist, Keith Haring.

Since its inauguration, the day has become widely celebrated outside of the US.

October 11 was chosen because it is the anniversary of the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.

In 2023 National Coming Out Day takes place on the 11th of October 2023, which is a Wednesday.

What does the Rainbow flag represent?

When is National Coming Out Day in 2021? — nancydowd / Pixabay

The rainbow flag was first designed and unveiled in 1978 by San Francisco artist, Gilbert Baker, who sadly passed away in 2017.

Speaking about the rainbow as a symbol for LGBT+ people Gilbert Baker said,

“There was no other international symbol for [the LGBT+ community] than the pink triangle which the Nazis used to identify homosexuals in concentration camps,

“Even though the pink triangle was and still is a very powerful symbol, it was very much forced upon us”.

Can you buy coming-out gifts?

If someone you know has gone through the process of coming out, you can always acknowledge their journey with a coming out card or even a small gift, as a gesture of your appreciation of their journey. We’ve put together some ideas for bisexual coming out, asexual coming out, gay coming out, lesbian coming out, transgender coming out and non-binary coming out.