National Coming Out Day

Telling people about your sexual orientation or gender identity is often called ‘coming out’.

Coming out is not necessarily a one-off event – lesbian, gay bi, trans, queer, questioning and ace (LGBTQ+) people often have to come out many times during our lives. It's also something unique to you – people face different challenges when coming out.

There is no ‘right’ way to come out. Some people prefer to tell everybody at once, for example by posting on social media. Others move more slowly, sharing the news with one person or group at a time.

You might feel comfortable being open about your sexual orientation and gender identity only with certain groups, or you might decide that you don’t want to be ‘out’ in every context. That’s OK too.

Coming out is also only a part of your LGBTQ+ journey, and while it may be an important one for many people, it doesn’t define who you are, or the ways in which you love and accept yourself.

Wherever you are in your own personal journey, we're here and we're proud of you.