On the eve of National Coming Out Day, just days before Atlanta Pride, Georgia Rep. Renitta Shannon (D-Decatur) came out...
For the fourth consecutive year, Atlanta Pride will be held in Piedmont Park in October to coincide with National Coming Out Day.
This year’s festival will be held Oct. 12-13. National Coming Out Day is Friday, Oct. 11, the night of the Pride kick-off party at the Georgia Aquarium, which also returns for 2013 despite criticism from some animal activists last year.
"Atlanta Pride is excited to announce our dates for the 43rd Annual Atlanta Pride Festival. Planning for the 2013 festival began six months ago and we are, of course, always thrilled to return to Piedmont Park,” said Buck Cooke, Atlanta Pride executive director, in a press release today.
"National Coming Out Day continues to be a great fit for our festival and we are excited to have the Official Kick-off Party at the Georgia Aquarium occur on this very important date,” Cooke said.
October is LGBT History Month. The month of observance was first organized in 1994 by high school teacher Rodney Wilson to coincide with National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11) and was meant to highlight the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights movement.
In 2006, the Equality Forum began promoting the annual commemoration by featuring a different LGBT icon each day.
“This is the 7th anniversary of LGBT History Month. There are a total of 217 Icons that inspire pride in our heroes and our impressive national and international accomplishments,” said Malcolm Lazin, Equality Forum executive director, in a statement.
Schools around the country will participate in “Mix It Up At Lunch Day” on Oct. 30. Students are encouraged to talk to other students they would not normally connect with during the day to make new friends outside of their comfort zone.
Originally organized by the Southern Poverty Law Center to combat bullying in school, the day is now the target of a planned protest by the American Family Association, which calls the day a “program designed specifically by SPCL to establish the acceptance of homosexuality into public schools, including elementary and junior high schools.”
The AMA is urging parents to keep their children home on “Mix It Up” day and is also calling on parents to contact their child's school if it is listed as one of the official participants.
Coming out is the generally understood to be the act of an individual confirming something about themselves that was previously unknown, unconfirmed, or unspoken. While the term is usually associated with being transgender, gay or lesbian, it can also apply to being HIV-positive.
One comes out to confirm an identity that is considered unacceptable which is why one hides it. When someone comes out for the first time, the narrator may be revealing something fundamental about herself that she had hidden to avoid repercussions like getting fired, thrown out of her home, being humiliated or rejected.
When we come out to a brother, co-worker or friend, the anticipated response carries added weight. The impact of that response is charged by the depth of the relationship. The value we assign it is scaled by what that person means to us and what we seek from them.
It's that time of year when people from Atlanta's diverse LGBT communities nominate one or more grand marshals to lead Atlanta Pride's annual parade. Nominations are being accepted now until May 28.
Atlanta Pride is scheduled for Oct. 13-14 at Piedmont Park to coincide with National Coming Out Day. The parade, the highlight of the fest, takes place on Sunday, Oct. 14.
“Being asked to serve as a grand marshal is the highest honor that Atlanta Pride can bestow upon someone in recognition for their support of the LGBT community," said Glen Paul Freedman, board chair of the Atlanta Pride Committee, in a prepared statement.
“No More Down Low,” a new web television show, premiered Monday in conjunction with National Coming Out Day. The series, hosted by Jonathan Plummer and Janora McDuffie, aims to dispel myths about the LGBT African-American community.
The first episode features comedian Wanda Sykes, actor Wilson Cruz and photographer Duane Cramer.