Editing Coming out (section)

== National Coming Out Day ==
{{Main|National Coming Out Day}}
<!-- Commented out: [[File:Logo ncod lg.png|thumb|National Coming Out Day logo, designed by artist [[Keith Haring]].]] -->

Observed annually on 11 October,<ref name="HRC_NCOD">{{cite web |title=History of National Coming Out Day |publisher=Human Rights Campaign |url=http://www.hrc.org/issues/3338.htm   | access-date = 17 October 2008 | url-status = dead   | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081012081415/http://www.hrc.org/issues/3338.htm   | archive-date = 12 October 2008}}</ref> by members of the [[LGBT community|LGBT communities]] and their [[Straight ally|allies]], National Coming Out Day is an international civil [[Raising awareness|awareness]] day for coming out and discussing LGBTQ issues among the general populace in an effort to give a familiar face to the [[LGBT social movements|LGBT rights movement]]. This day inspired the United States government to recognize October as [[LGBT History Month]].

The day was founded in 1988, by Robert Eichberg, his partner William Gamble, and [[Jean O'Leary]] to celebrate the [[Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights]] one year earlier, in which 500,000 people marched on [[Washington, DC]], to promote gay and lesbian equality.

In the United States, the [[Human Rights Campaign]] manages the event under the National Coming Out Project, offering resources to LGBTQ individuals, couples, parents, and children, as well as straight friends and relatives, to promote awareness of [[LGBT parenting|LGBT families]] living honest and open lives. [[Candace Gingrich]] became the spokesperson for the day in April 1995. Although still named "''National'' Coming Out Day", this day is observed in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland also on 11 October, and in the [[United Kingdom]] on 12 October. To celebrate National Coming Out Day on 11 October 2002, Human Rights Campaign released an album bearing the same title as that year's theme: ''[[Being Out Rocks]]''. Participating artists include [[Kevin Aviance]], [[Janis Ian]], [[k.d. lang]], [[Cyndi Lauper]], [[Sarah McLachlan]], and [[Rufus Wainwright]].