The World's a Stage - And You're on in Five

On October 11, National Coming Out Day will be observed across the country. This one day gives each of us a chance to stand up and be counted as part of a larger heritage. It is an opportunity we should not let slip by.

In the ongoing battle for equal rights without regard to sexual orientation or gender identification, visibility is one of the most powerful tools we have. To become more visible in larger numbers is to draw more attention, not just the ongoing fight for respect and equality, but the true power and influence we can wield. We can show clearly that the voices raised are no longer alone or scattered, but part of a larger movement united to shatter the barriers of hate and prejudice. As such, it becomes more difficult to just dismiss the cries for equality. 

To remain invisible is to allow the general public to ignore and overlook us.

Only by capturing attention can we ever hope to effectively demonstrate the inequities forced on us because of our sexual orientation and gender identities.  Only by showing American society that we refuse to be denied the same rights and civil liberties enjoyed by the majority can we achieve social equality. A handful of faces and voices are not enough. Carefully limited posts on social media are not enough. 

Many of those who adamantly oppose equality to the LGBTQ+ segments of our society condemn us as immoral, and target us as the cause of degenerating social values would have us remain silent. They use fear and violence to keep us silent. Why? Because by keeping our cries unheard and our numbers out of sight, they can maintain their power structures and continue to dictate codes of morality to the nation without fear of opposition. The status quo remains unaltered, and we, as LGBTQ+ individuals, are forced to endure discrimination and second-class citizenship.

Visibility ensures that we, the LGBTQ+ persons in society, will no longer settle for such social maltreatment. We will not stand by silently while injustice and violence is done on our siblings. Each new face coming out into the open means one more voice taking up the call. Each call shakes the decaying foundations of the solaced status quo. We can shake those foundations until they crumble into the dust of history.

How does visibility relate to the individual? To the majority of the American public, the shouting throng waving pride flags is a crowd of nameless strangers. It is only the individual who can lend the catalyst of familiarity. When the face seen and the voice heard are one that is known, the isolated observer is no longer disconnected. 

Too often, I have heard another LGBTQ+ person say there is nothing they can do. Or that there are already enough of us fighting the battle for equal rights. Neither statement could be further from the truth! Each and every one of us needs to stand up and be counted. It is left to all of us to contribute to the struggle - because it is a struggle that affects all of us. By showing our numbers, the American public can see we are not a few isolated radicals. We are a collection of communities of considerable size. We show that we are friends, sons or daughters, mothers or fathers, brothers or sisters, family, neighbors, and co-workers. We can show that we are thinking, feeling human beings, capable of love and caring.

As National Coming Out Day approaches, each of us has an opportunity to reinforce the strength of visibility and shape it within the framework of familiarity. Don't think of it as an obligation to the LGBTQ+ community or the struggle for equal rights, however. It is an obligation to yourself. In the end, the triumphant achievement of equal rights rests with the individuals who work together. In the end, by casting down those that would have us stay silent, we give ourselves the freedom to be ourselves and live our truths. 

Until we finally achieve true equality within society, we must remain visible as a united community. But only the commitment and contribution of each individual provides the strength necessary to maintain the momentum of the communal effort. Our siblings out there leading the effort need our - your - support.

We owe it to them - you owe it to yourself - to give them that support. We are all in this together. We're all here, and we aren't going anywhere.