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NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY
TAKE YOUR NEXT STEP
One year after the historic National March on Washington for Lesbian and
Gay Rights, the Experience Weekend and National Gay Rights Advocates
(NGRA) are sponsoring National Coming Out Day October 11,1988. Co-chairs
Jean O'Leary, executive director of NGRA, and Rob Eichberg, founder of the
Experience Weekend, hope to direct the "spirit and energy" that drew 650,000
gay men and lesbians to Washington, D.C. back into the local communities, as an
estimated 20 million men and women "take their next step."
The goal of National Coming Out Day is to
increase the visibility of the gay men and
lesbians in this country. And because
homophobia begins at home this day will also
focus on ourselves. There is a "next step" in
coming out for each of us.
Thousands of gay men and lesbians taking
part in National Coming Out Day are
committing to their "next step." The ranks of
those who choose to live openly as gay men
and lesbians are being strengthened. New
talents and resources are flowing into the
gay/lesbian movement and creating significant
gains both in the emotional health and
political clout of our community.
Why Come Out?
Our silence is killing us. Our silence is
allowing society to make the rules for by
defining who we are, and what we can hope to
achieve in life. Our silence is allowing
ignorance and intolerance to play decisive
roles in such life threatening matters as AIDS
funding, research and patient care. And with
silence comes invisibility.
Our invisibility is the core of our
oppression. We experience hate, fear and
prejudice because people don't know who we
are. But we know. We are their sons and
daughters, brothers and sisters, and mothers
and fathers.
The truth is that we are everywhere.We are
lawyers, doctors, mechanics, engineers,
architects, teachers, bank tellers, secretaries,
artists, and truckdrivers. We touch the lives of
millions of people whose negative view of
homosexuality would change dramatically if
they knew who we are.
Your coming out can help turn fear into
acceptance. One-to-one contact with gay men
and lesbians is our most powerful tool to
bring about a major shift in society's attitudes.
Coming out is the most powerful statement
we can make-powerful in its political
influence and personally powerful in
releasing energy that is wasted in hiding the
truth.
Coming out is a continuum, a series of
steps that often take place over the course of
months or even years. Your "next step" must
be appropriate and comfortable for you; but
be willing to push yourself a little.
Southern Voice urges you to take your
"next step"-whatever that may be. We have
listed at right some of the ideas that the
National Coming Out Day staff have
compiled, and hope you will choose one, or
make up one of your own. Whatever you
decide to do, we want to know about il As a
part of our National Coming Out Day
coverage, we ask that you let us know what
you did to celebrate our newest holiday.
Check off the way you decided to take your
"next step," and mail it back to us.
Participants in this informal survey will also
be able to purchase a one-year subscription to
Southern Voice at the reduced rate of $20.
Who knows, getting Southern Voice through
the mail each week may be your "next step."
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| □ Take a lover/partner home for the m □ Tell three people that you are gay or j
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| □ Come out to your family-parents, □ Read a gay/lesbian newspaper on the ]
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I □ Stop lying to your fraternity brother □ Take a straight friend to a lesbian/gay 1
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| □ Send flowers to someone special and □ Tell the truth when asked, "So, are
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| □ Acknowledge that "those roses" are
I not from your mother
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I □ Wear an openly gay/lesbian symbol
j or button for an entire week
you engaged yet?"
||P Write a letter to the editor of your
II local newspaper commenting on
| gay/lesbian coverage, or lack thereof
IIP Other
Please Mail Responses to:
Southern Voice/Viewpoints
P.O.Box 54719
Atlanta, Ga, 30308
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| □ Hold hands publicly
I □ Yes! I want to celebrate National Coming Out Day by subscribing to
| Southern Voice at the special price of $20/year.
j □ I want to sponsor a free subscription to a PWA as a part of National
j Coming Out Day at $20/year.
| PI want to support Southern Voice by making a contribution of $25,
I $50, _$100.
| Name
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Total Amount
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Always free to People with AIDS!ARC