The History of Coming Out
Being gay throughout history has never been a walk in the park. The 30s, 40s, and 50s witnessed a growing backlash against anyone who was out, so the gay community became more secretive. In 1978, there was a California initiative that would’ve banned gay teachers from working in public schools. So openly gay public official Harvey Milk urged people to “Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are.” He was successful; the bill was never passed. Fast forward 45 years and we now observe National Coming Out Day every October 11th. Brett Lemick takes us through the history of coming out.