October 11th

Today is important.  Today is National Coming Out Day.

A little less than a year ago I mentioned briefly and without much thought to a couple of friends that I am bisexual.  Earlier than that even I had told my boyfriend.  Last January during a game of "Cross the Line" during staff training, I took a deep breath and walked to the other side of the line and turned around to look back at my = 34 straight or closeted coworkers and employers.  At that time I was the only one able to cross that line, though now at least one of those staff members has Come Out.  But in a way he is braver than I, because he came out to his parents, directly, whereas I have only made comments alluding to the fact that I may or may not be bisexual to my own family.

My goal for this NCOD is to come out to at least my mom.  Maybe not today, but this weekend, when we can be face to face.

But even if I don't I still think that I am doing something significant with this day.  Today, one of my bosses/coworkers, Andrew McIntosh, will be presenting at an event I am coordinating.   Andrew is a public speaker, as well as a Resident Director in the student housing where I work, and he talks about coming out in athletics. He has been a great influence on me in the past two and a half months that we have worked together, and I feel I am a more confident person because of our interaction.  I am hoping that we can reach at least one resident struggling with their sense of identity and help them to become more confident as well.


More on National Coming Out Day:
National Coming Out Day (NCOD) is an internationally observed civil awareness day for coming out and discussion about gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people (LGBT), and asexuals. It is observed by members of the LGBT communities and their supporters (often referred to as "allies") on October 11 every year, or October 12 in the United Kingdom.

NCOD was founded in 1988 by Robert Eichberg, a psychologist from New Mexico and Jean O'Leary, an openly-gay political leader from Los Angeles, on behalf of the personal growth workshop The Experience and National Gay Rights Advocates. The date of October 11 was chosen because it was the anniversary of the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.



More on Andrew:
Andrew is originally from New York. During high school he played football and lacrosse. He was captain of both the football team and the lacrosse team. He was recruited to play lacrosse at the collegiate level and first attended Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus. He then transferred to SUNY Plattsburgh and concluded his undergraduate career at SUNY College at Oneonta. He was captain of the 2010 Oneonta State Men's Lacrosse Team.  While he attended Oneonta State he wrote a coming out story for OutSports.com which was featured in the media at an international level. Andrew has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Advocate. He was also recognized by Out Magazine for being one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2010. Andrew currently is pursuing a Master's Degree in counseling with a focus on higher education at California State University, Fresno. He also works as a Resident Director on campus providing academic and personal support to students who reside at University Courtyard. Andrew is also a public speaker talking about his coming out story while integrating concepts from sport psychology and sport sociology into his keynotes and presentations. Andrew is also a featured speaker for G-Force Sports. G-Force advocacy focuses on education of athletes, particularly youth, through panel discussions and interactive Q&A sessions. We strive to create a sports landscape where athletes and coaches are judged solely on the strength of their talent, effort and potential regardless of their sexual orientation.