Today is National Coming Out Day. It’s a day when authenticity, visibility, and acceptance are celebrated as is the rainbow of sexual orientations and gender identities. While National Coming Out Day was first recognized in 1988 as a celebration of people being able to come out to their family and friends as lesbian or gay, it has grown into something that is so much more. Whether you identify as gay or lesbian, bi or pan, or you are ready to come out as nonbinary, genderqueer, or trans; National Coming Out Day is for you! In celebration of diversity and inclusivity today I am sharing some of my favorite coming out quotes about coming out and being a member of the LGBTQ+ community!
20 Coming Out Quotes
“I’ve been embraced by a new community. That’s what happens when you’re finally honest about who you are; you find others like you.” ― Chaz Bono
“We should indeed keep calm in the face of difference, and live our lives in a state of inclusion and wonder at the diversity of humanity.” ― George Takei
“Only by speaking out can we create lasting change. And that change begins with coming out.” ― DaShanne Stokes
“Don’t come out unless you want to. Don’t come out for anyone else’s sake. Don’t come out because you think society expects you to. Come out for yourself. Come out to yourself. Shout, sing it. Softly stutter. Correct those who say they knew before you did. That’s not how sexuality works, it’s yours to define.”― Dean Atta
“Cut the ending. Revise the script. The man of her dreams is a girl.” — Julie Anne Peters
“I’m proud to be not only a member, but an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community and I’m proud to say I will live my life based on loving people, not for their gender, but their soul.”—Tana Mongeau
“Being born gay, black, and female is not a revolutionary act. Being proud to be a gay, black female is.”—Lena Waithe“Like being a woman, like being a racial, religious, tribal, or ethnic minority, being LGBT does not make you less human. And that is why gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.” —Hillary Clinton
“I want to make sure that any young person or anyone really who is looking up to me—who sees a glimpse of who I am as a person—that they see no shame, that they see pride, and that I’m truly unabashed about the person that I am.”—Samira Wiley
“There will not be a magic day when we wake up and it’s now okay to express ourselves publicly. We make that day by doing things publicly until it’s simply the way things are.” — Tammy Baldwin
“I want to be visible to queer folx who don’t see people like them on their feed. I know it saved my life years ago. I want to challenge cis folks (if you don’t know what cis means, that’s probably you!!!) to be better allies.”—Rebecca Quinn
“It’s like love is so incredibly healing. I’m just so happy. When you’re happy… love is life-saving.”—Laverne Cox
“The single best thing about coming out of the closet is that nobody can insult you by telling you what you’ve just told them.” —Rachel Maddow
“Being gay is like glitter, it never goes away.” —Lady Gaga
“Having to hide something like that just ruined me. It really, really killed me. I really honestly think that anybody who is openly gay and visible is powerful. It doesn’t matter what you do, you are impacting people.” —Portia De Rossi
“I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive. To all the trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse, and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you, and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better.” —Elliot Page
“My sexuality is not a phase. I am who I am.” —Cara Delevingne
“This world would be a whole lot better if we just made an effort to be less horrible to one another.” ― Elliot Page
“Gender and sexuality are so fluid. It’s OK to change your mind a million times and figure out what works for you. It’s OK to take your time.” ― Amandla Stenberg
“When you reduce love to black and white you never see rainbows”“The only queer people are those who don’t love anybody.” – Rita Mae Brown
“Nobody is wired wrong because there is no wrong and right in the way we are.” – Hannah Hart
No matter what your coming out story is, there is a coming out quote to fit it. Don’t forget to share your favorite coming out quote with your friends and family today (and every day after). Happy Coming Out Day!