NCOW

Happy National Coming Out Week. Today, Oct. 11, is National Coming Out Day. I just learned that this is a the commemoration of a 1987 march on Washington for gay and lesbian rights, in which the AIDS quilt was also displayed for the first time.

Personally, I feel like most of my coming-out has been accomplished. I study queer performance artists, teach classes in LGBT studies, give papers at LGBT conferences, and blog from a queer feminist perspective. And yes, my parents know. Life, as it involves constantly meeting new people, is a constant process of coming out. I may or may not be read as 'queer' when people first meet me, and thus I often play up references to my queerness or my investment in queer studies when getting to know new people. It is an effort and an investment to continue to come out on a regular basis, to not allow people to read you as straight or make any assumptions about gender and sexuality.

As I've said before here, I identify as queer and femme. I choose 'queer' over 'lesbian' because I have dated men in the past and I don't rule out the possibility of doing so again. I don't identify as 'bisexual' because I do have a distinct preference for women (generally butch or masculine women) and identify much more with queer and lesbian communities than with heterosexuality, but 'bisexual' is a word that could accurately describe me.

So, here's to coming out. I encourage everyone to do it, whenever and however it feels right to them. Even if it's not about gender or sexuality, be honest and open about who you are and what you believe. Make conscious choices about identity and identification. Own your class, race, gender, sexuality, passions or whatever else makes you special. Don't be afraid to be in-your-face about it.