10/11/2026
On National Coming Out Day, we celebrate the people who have shared their identities with family, friends, colleagues, and communities. For many, coming out can be a powerful experience of authenticity, freedom, and connection.
But we also need to recognize that coming out isn’t always safe, and it isn’t something anyone owes us.
Some people are out in one part of their lives but not another. Some are still figuring things out. Others have made thoughtful decisions to keep parts of their identity private.
All of those experiences are valid.
As allies, our job isn’t to encourage someone to come out before they’re ready or to assume that being out is the ultimate measure of authenticity. Our job is to help create families, workplaces, congregations, and communities where people know they will be treated with dignity and respect.
The question isn’t whether someone feels comfortable coming out to us. It’s what we’re doing to make sure they feel safe, respected, and valued in the first place.
That’s what allyship looks like in practice.
***rAllyship
