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Friend, did you know that National Coming Out Day is coming up next week, on Tuesday, October 11?

For a lot of people, the holiday has become just a time to change your Facebook profile picture. But the holiday can -- and should -- be about so much more.

National Coming Out Day is an opportunity each year to assess what you're doing for LGBT equality. It's a chance to challenge yourself -- and your friends -- to keep being visible and to keep showing courage in the fight for the equality we deserve.

This year, we want to help you in that process!

We try to only ever ask you to do one thing at a time, but we're asking you -- in the honor of NCOD -- to help us in three efforts to enhance the amazing momentum that's building toward equality and justice:

• Video/Photo: We're looking for videos and photos of folks who are coming out for equality. We will use your images to stitch together a video "statement" from the GetEQUAL community for next week. Take a picture/video of yourself holding hand-written signs in front of you, and email it to us at info@getequal.org. Here are the signs we're looking for:

- I'm "occupation" (doctor, teacher, cop, computer geek, retired, unemployed, Wal-Mart cashier, etc.)

- I live in "state"

- I like to "hobby" (play tennis, knit, challenge the status quo, garden, bike the streets of NYC, etc.)

- I'm "identity" (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, interest, polysexual, polyamorous, queer, questioning, ally, etc.)

- And therefore I can't "right that you don't have" (feel safe in my job, marry my partner, adopt my own children, sponsor my partner for citizenship, etc. -- find a list here)

- "I deserve more than 12%!!" (number taken from eQuality Giving)

• Come Out for Intersectional Issues: Have you already come out for full LGBT equality without delay and without compromise? Well, take this opportunity to come out for other issues and identities! Click here to make a pledge to come out for other important issues of justice on National Coming Out Day. If we are going to win this progressive fight for equality and justice, we have to come out for a world with full equality and justice for everyone!
• Occupy Together: You've surely seen the gathering momentum in New York City and across the country that the "Occupy Wall Street" organizers have created. As we approach National Coming Out Day, commit to ensuring that the Occupy events in your area are LGBT-inclusive. This is an amazing moment to continue building a progressive movement for true change. Wave your rainbow flag, carry your equality signs, and call on other protesters to join you in coming out for LGBT equality at events across the country -- and you can find those events at www.occupytogether.org.

Whatever you do to celebrate National Coming Out Day, do something. Take a stand. And if you've already taken a stand for yourself, take a stand for someone else. As long as anyone in this country remains unequal, the United States is less than what we can be. As we fight for full LGBT equality, and continue to come out every day of our lives -- as LGBT or as an ally -- let us remember that our destinies are wrapped up in one another's, and we must stand for justice in all corners of our world.

I look forward to seeing your videos, your photos, your intersectional declarations, and your courageous faces at Occupy Together events across the country!

“Burst down those closet doors once and for all, and stand up and start to fight.” - Harvey Milk

Get Out! Get Active! GetEQUAL!

Robin McGehee, Director

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