When you say that’s so gay, do you realize what you say?

Now more than ever, it is time we give members of the LGBTQ+ community recognition for their bravery. 

Oct. 11 is National Coming Out Day, a day that supports members of the community for coming out of the closet. Perhaps in this day and age, you’d think it would be easy to be out and proud; however, that’s not the case.

So many steps forward have been made in recent years worldwide. Gay marriage being legalized in the U.S. is still relatively new, the bill only being passed seven years ago. And across the world, more countries are legalizing gay marriage, with the most recent laws being passed in Cuba on Sept. 26.

This is amazing progress, but there is no denying that in an instant, it all can be taken back and set to square one again.

For instance, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill that was passed in Florida earlier this year. In the state of Florida now there can not even be a mention of LGBTQ+ individuals in coursework, and if so, their teacher would be fired.

What is there to fear? Love? Happiness? Why are people being targeted for loving someone? The world always promotes free love; however, it seems as if gay love is left out of that conversation.

Recently, the outbreak of the Monkeypox virus showed the world how easy it is to put a target on LGBTQ+ people yet again  For many gay men, the spread of Monkeypox almost faired exactly as it was back in 1981 when the AIDS epidemic started, with society turning their back on the community instantaneously. 

I will never forget heading to work and immediately being treated differently by my coworkers. People who I always would laugh with, be nothing but myself with, and share my struggles with all turned a blind eye to me once the news broke.

Graphic by- Abbey Mark

There were many offhand comments that my coworkers made, but I will never forget hearing, “Get away from me, I do not want to catch Monkeypox from you.”

Comments like these from my coworkers almost made me ashamed for being who I am. I thought I could trust them, but instead, I was easily a joke to them and for a moment, just a disease.

This was a triggering experience. I would have never thought that in 2022 I would experience hate for being myself from the people around me, but society is taking steps backward. 

Even lately,  Republicans are coming after gay rights; their latest obsession being drag queens, a symbol of light in the LGBTQ+ community. 

Targeting how many allies know the LGBTQ+ community best, through drag, can put a barrier when trying to make the world more equal. If one aspect that straight people love is under fire, then they may grow wary of it and want to stop supporting it. 

And maybe this is the point — maybe the world was fearful of the day that gay marriage would take over, and that the true straight, white vision of America would be ruined. 

But nothing has really changed for straight people, no right of theirs was taken away. Even in a world where gay marriage is questioned, it does not impact anyone else’s life except for the LGBTQ+ community, so why do they fight so hard to get it taken away?

We will not become cowards to fulfill other people’s wants. If anything, the world should know how much the LGBTQ+ community is willing to fight for their rights, and how their pride will not be overshadowed by anyone else’s wishes. 

This is why on this National Coming Out day, we need to thank the people who live their lives without fear and are full of pride. Doing so is a political statement.

There could be a million reasons why someone is not out of the closet, and there is no reason to ever force someone out of it. It is evident that at any moment, the world could attack them, why would they want to openly subject themselves to that?

This is their journey, their life, and their experiences are still valid, whether they choose to be out or not.

For many, coming out is a traumatic experience, and when you start, you never seem to stop. Every individual you meet, you have to come out to them again, it is a never ending cycle that will be with you forever.

It is upsetting that as a society, we live in a world where people are afraid to be open about themselves, where they have to hide out of fear.

It is important to uplift the LGBTQ+ community and we also should be uplifting the silent members, those who are afraid of coming out. Sometimes, these people are not even given the choice to choose when they can come out, they are outed and subjected to a world that they were not ready for. 

Even when the world tries to take away LGBTQ+ rights, they are always met by a confident group of people who have fought before, and will gladly fight again to make sure that they are not forgotten. This community should always be uplifted, not just on National Coming Out Day.