Chabot’s Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA) held their annual celebration of National Coming Out Day on Thursday, Oct. 9. The celebration featured arts & crafts, live tarot reading, pride themed foods, and a mood board for people to publicly post their LGBTQ+ friendly messages.

Caesar Chavez plaza was alive with music as students, staff, and faculty came together to celebrate the national holiday. Volunteers from the GSA and the Queer Educators Equity Network (QUEEN) were present to hand out pizza, cupcakes and vibrant, rainbow colored conchas to students in attendance or passing by. At the arts & crafts table, students were able to make beaded bracelets and drawings. Informational flyers about the history of National Coming Out Day and the activity of the GSA lined the table. Stickers, unique jewelry, and tarot readings were also available for purchase.

Kaitlin Cruey, GSA President, explained why its important to hold this celebration on campus, “Especially with today’s political climate, it’s really good to have representation, having our QUEEN faculty our here helping support not only the [GSA] but also the students that come by.”

“When people are being told that they can’t or shouldn’t, or even that they don’t exist, it’s really important to celebrate the LGBTQ plus community, and celebrate people living as their true selves,” said David Irving, Chabot mental health coordinator and member of QUEEN. He went on to say, “The whole idea behind National Coming Out Day…is that people don’t have to hide themselves.”

“I think to see this on campus is to know that this place is a safe space,” said Elisha Chavez, a GSA volunteer, while handing out cupcakes.“People are walking by and seeing this like ‘What’s this?’ and it’s an opportunity to say it’s about love and acceptance of all human beings.”

National Coming Out Day was established by gay rights activists Robert Eichberg and Jean O’Leary in 1988 as a response to anit-LGBTQ+ policy and sentiment in the United States at the time. By 1990, the day was officially observed by all 50 States as well as eight other countries. Today, National Coming Out Day is sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign, and still stands as an annual institution to celebrate the importance of LGBTQ+ and civil rights.

Chabot’s GSA meets every Thursday in room 2345, on the second floor of building 2300, from Noon – 1 P.M. Students interested in joining can learn more about the GSA at chabotcollege.edu/lgbtq.