October 11 is recognized as National Coming Out Day in the LGTBQ community around the world. Annelies van Oers, board president for OUTreach Southern Alberta, said it’s a privilege to be able to celebrate the day openly in a country with progressive LGBTQ laws like Canada.
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Other members of the community who are living their lives “out of the closet,” spent Tuesday reflecting on what it means to be open and living authentically – and what National Coming Out Day means to them.
“Well I found it harder to be in the closet, for sure,” Graham Black, Lethbridge Pride Fest member-at-large, said. “Coming out comes with a whole new set of challenges but you know, Lethbridge is a really accepting city.”
“I find I can express myself openly all over town.”
Husbands Nick and Derrick Antson said it’s an important day to be proud in their community.
“It just means you can be who you are,” Nick said. “Make sure anyone that needs to come out can see that there are people here for them.”
“It’s about being seen rather than just blending in with the rest of the world,” Derrick said. “Creating a safe space for those who can’t come out, making sure they know they are loved and that they will still be loved.”
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Emmy MacDonald identifies as a queer agender femme who uses they/them pronouns. MacDonald said it has been a long journey to get to where they are today.
“I can – I think finally – for the first time in 10 years, say that I’m actually not closeted in all parts of my life. Not at work, not at school, not at home – and that’s a really big deal,” MacDonald said. “It takes a really long time for some people and it’s not the easiest of processes and it makes me even more proud to be out now.”
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