By The Gatepost Editorial Board National Coming Out Day, celebrated October 11, is a day celebrating LGBTQ+ people and their identities. The holiday was first celebrated in 1988, exactly one year after the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights on Oct. 11, 1987, according to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). In 1996, the HRC created the National Coming Out Project, leading to the “Resource Guide to Coming Out,” which included resources and information on coming out “as transgender, coming out online, coming out in the workplace, and coming out as a parent or to a health care provider,” according to the Cornell University Library. It is a holiday about self-discovery and having pride in your sexual and gender identity. For many people in college, this is the first time they gain independence and begin to explore their sexuality and take time to fully understand their identity. But sometimes with self-discovery, there can also be fear. Telling others about yourself and your orientation is difficult for many people - especially as it is not always accepted. Self-discovery can be instant for some, but may take years for others - it’s not always like flipping a switch. Sexuality is nuanced, and exists on a spectrum. National Coming Out Day gives people the space to share who they are - which is important and warrants celebration. However, there is no need to force yourself to come out if you aren’t ready. It’s important to take your time if it feels necessary and to continue exploring who you are - don’t feel pressured to put yourself into a category if you don’t feel as if you fit there. Even if you have come out, you don’t need to be held to what you came out as. Identity is fluid - you can change the labels you use to identify yourself as much as you need in order to find a definition, or a set of definitions, that fit you. And it’s OK if you feel that no category fits your identity. You are still valid no matter how you categorize yourself. National Coming Out Day serves to celebrate everyone whose identity aligns with LGBTQ+ culture. While Massachusetts and Framingham State University are liberal areas with outspoken support for LGBTQ+ people, coming out is still not always easy. There are many obstacles for people who want to come out, including. but not limited to, discrimination in the workplace or at home. The Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE) offers many resources for students who belong to the LGBTQ+ community. Its website states the CIE provides a “community-building approach to educate and create awareness around issues of gender, sexuality, and identity using inclusive practices that elevate the lives of our students and the greater Framingham community.” The CIE has resources specifically for LGBTQ+ students, offering ways to be involved through student affinity groups, encouraging awareness as they highlight the lived experiences of LGBTQ+-identifying people, fostering discussion, and building knowledge concerning issues of social and racial justice. Framingham State also offers support through the preferred name policy, gender-inclusive restrooms, and counseling specialized in LGBTQ+-community needs. A student’s preferred name will be used in the University directory, in many communications, on class rosters, and in reporting - except when the use of the legal name is required - according to the CIE’s website. However, whenever reasonably possible, the preferred name will be used. Students who wish to indicate a preferred name can access a form through myFramingham under Quick Links – Personal Information. Any current students wishing to update an FSU identification card with a preferred name can schedule an appointment with the Student Identification Card Office at idoffice@framingham.edu. The Framingham State campus provides 35 single-user restrooms across campus that are available for use without regard to gender. The CIE website states, “We believe that the removal of gender designation from these single-user restrooms is a meaningful step forward in our commitment to inclusive excellence in that they will be available to all members of our community but may also provide an added level of comfort for members of the LGBT+ community, parents of young children, and those requiring assistance when using the facilities.” The FSU Counseling Center welcomes students who identify as LGBTQ+ or who may be questioning or struggling with sexual identity/expression. The Center’s counselors are “committed to providing a welcoming, safe, and supportive space for all LGBT+ students,” according to the website. Some of the best resources a student can utilize are support from their friends and peers. If it is safe for you to do so, tell your friends how you feel and ask them to help support you. And if your friends are struggling with their identities or their paths to self-discovery, ask them what you can do to help or point them in the direction of the CIE staff. We have to be there for each other! Even if you are not a member of the LGBTQ+ community, you can celebrate National Coming Out Day through your allyship. You should always help your peers and do your part to help in big and small ways. For example, say something if someone makes a bigoted joke, or engages in other normalized forms of LGBTQ+ discrimination. Don’t let passing comments slip by - call them out if it is safe to do so. We have a responsibility as Rams to support and uplift each other. We need to take the time to ensure the spaces we inhabit and create support everyone, regardless of their sexuality or gender. Take time this National Coming Out Day to think about the language you use. Think about whether you are repeating phrases that echo homophobic or transphobic ideas. To the LGBTQ+ members of our campus community, know that The Gatepost Editorial Board supports you. We want every individual on campus to be their authentic selves. Even if you do not feel comfortable coming out, don’t hide yourself away. And if you do want to come out, the FSU community is here to welcome you.