HRC urges gays to
come out to spread awareness

The Human Rights Campaign is asking you to "Talk About It." That's the theme for this year's National Coming Out Day. The notion stems from a poll that revealed that 72% of people in America know someone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, compared with just 11% in 1987.

This year's National Coming Out Day, on October 11, also falls on the 20th anniversary of the Gay and Lesbian March on Washington, when the AIDS Quilt was displayed on the National Mall.

Mark Shields, director of HRC's Coming Out Project, said in a statement that when the march first took place, coming out was a matter of life and death. "In many ways, we have come a very long way in a relatively short time, and yet that lesson still resonates deeply today. Coming out and living openly is the most important thing that gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and straight supportive Americans can do to build lasting understanding and equality." (The Advocate)