On Oct. 11, 1987, half a million people marched in Washington, D.C. in support of lesbian and gay rights. Now, the rights Americans fought for 30 years ago are under threat — yet again.

Since then, LGBTQ communities have celebrated National Coming Out Day each year to commemorate the march. But today, in the age of Trump, this event is more important than ever.

The United States has certainly made progress over the years for LGBTQ rights through advocacy groups and policymaking. But the brazen nature in which President Donald Trump’s administration has endorsed homophobic and transphobic ideologies exacerbates the risks already associated with coming out.

The Trump administration has restricted the rights of transgender individuals in the military, rolled back Title IX protections for transgender students and prevented the collection of 2020 Census data on sexual orientation and gender identity. Most recently, as part of an attack on Affordable Care Act mandates through the Department of Justice’s “Religious Liberty” guidance, workplace protections no longer include gender identity discrimination.

The discriminatory practices of the administration, as well as the challenges associated with coming out in this political climate, are particularly relevant for LGBTQ college students. The median age for coming out is 20 — the age at which many students are entering or enrolled in college, according to the Pew Research Center.

Anna Henderson | Contributing Digital Design Editor

Syracuse University’s LGBT Resource Center has recognized these changing circumstances, and it’s taking action, program coordinator Abby Fite said.

“Oppression has always been there. Queerphobia, transphobia, racism, sexism, ableism have always been there,” Fite said. “In this moment, they’re a little bit more blatant.”

The center’s commitment to raising consciousness can be felt in the individual and group educational trainings the center offers throughout the year. But it really ramps up awareness during Coming Out Month, October’s national celebration of gender and sexual difference.

The LGBT Resource Center has celebrated Coming Out Month since 2008. Despite the month’s name, Fite said Coming Out Month is not just about coming out.

Anna Henderson | Contributing Digital Design Editor

“We think of it not just as a celebration of coming out, although that can be an empowering and important process for people,” Fite said, “but more an intentional way to center queer and trans people in communities, and to celebrate queer and trans people in communities because so often the narrative around queerness and transgenderness is suffering.”

For many LGBTQ people, especially those with intersecting marginalized identities, coming out can be mentally and physically dangerous. The LGBT Center’s events coalesce around celebration, healing and consciousness raising. The events include both open spaces for education or coalition-building, as well as closed spaces where LGBTQ people can focus on healing, building community or strategizing change, Fite said.

This balance between celebration and activism can also be seen in the diversity of the center’s events. For instance, on Friday, the center will sponsor a queer prom. And on Oct. 26, Janaya Khan, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Canada, will serve as the keynote speaker.

Events like Coming Out Month and spaces like the LGBT Resource Center are critical in the fight against the Trump administration’s discriminatory policies and rhetoric.

By forming spaces to celebrate difference, we resist the normalization of an administration that seems determined to discriminate against the most marginalized among us.

C.C. Hendricks is a doctoral student in composition and cultural rhetoric. Her column appears biweekly. You can reach her at crhen100@syr.edu.

Published on October 10, 2017 at 10:00 pm