Pasadena will host its ninth annual National Coming Out Day celebration on Saturday, Oct. 11, reaffirming nearly a decade of the city’s commitment to LGBTQ inclusion.
The event runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Memorial Park (85 E. Holly St.), featuring music, crafts, resource tables, giveaways and an affirmation that “coming out … still matters.”
Founded in 1988 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, National Coming Out Day highlights the power of visibility.
“Most people think they don’t know anyone gay or lesbian, and in fact, everybody does,” said Robert Eichberg, co-founder of the observance. “It is imperative that we come out and let people know who we are and disabuse them of their fears and stereotypes.”
Hosted by the Pasadena Public Health Department, Pasadena Public Library and Pasadena Parks, Recreation and Community Services, the annual celebration underscores the city’s pledge to accept all residents regardless of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, marital status, socio-economic status, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or disability.
Eric Marcus, founder and host of the Making Gay History podcast, praised the event’s dual impact: “They figured out how to create something that was of benefit to gay and lesbian people in terms of their lives, and also had the potential to benefit the movement by creating visibility.”
National Coming Out Day will run on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Memorial Park, 85 E. Holly St., Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 744-4048 or visit https://www.cityofpasadena.net/library/calendar/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D188161988. Admission: Free.
