Berkeley Lab celebrated the 29th anniversary of National Coming Out Day on October 11, 2017. The Lambda Alliance distributed tent cards and stickers for LGBTQ staff and allies to place in their workstations and support their colleagues. According to the Human Rights Campaign: “29 years ago, on the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, we first observed National Coming Out Day as a reminder that one of our most basic tools is the power of coming out. One out of every two Americans has someone close to them who is gay or lesbian. For transgender people, that number is only one in 10. Coming out – whether it is as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or allied – still matters. When people know someone who is LGBTQ, they are far more likely to support equality under the law. Beyond that, our stories can be powerful to each other.”
“National Coming Out Day should not be the only day that you feel comfortable coming out of whatever closet you may be binned into. It is important that Berkeley Lab celebrate this day to remind our employees of its commitment to diversity and inclusion. Additionally, the laboratory should be a safe place to be your true self, and one in which everyone is treated with respect. All people should be valued for the person they are and their whole self, not just seen as the jobs they perform.” —Tom Gallant, co-chair of the Lambda Alliance
