‘Continue to Shine Your Bright Light’: 13 Celebrity Posts in Honor of National Coming Out Day 2018
National Coming Out Day 2018 saw a ton of touching, inspiring and entertaining posts from some of our favorite people on social media.
In honor of the big day, we’ve compiled some of our favorite sentiments from across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. These posts inspire us to keep up visibility as members of the LGBTQ community — something that has truly positive consequences for us all.
Here are our 12 favorite National Coming Out Day 2018 messages from the big day:
1. Pose creator Steven Canals
A #lettertomyself for #NationalComingOutDay2018
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜@NewNowNext @LogoTV pic.twitter.com/OXbbvhhLB4
— Steven Canals (@StevenCanals) October 11, 2018
Canals shared a video yesterday for National Coming Out Day 2018 in which he reads a letter written to himself. “I want you to know that as tough as things may seem right now, in a couple years you are going to meet an incredible group of artists, and you are going to create a piece of work that you are so incredibly proud of,” he says. “So continue to shine your bright light, continue to celebrate who you are, don’t let all those kids on the playground who keep on making fun of you for the way that you walk or the way that you talk bring you down, because you’re special, and you are loved, and your voice matters.
2. Gay Olympian Gus Kenworthy
Happy #NationalComingOutDay pic.twitter.com/msFw7jRWbt
— Gus Kenworthy (@guskenworthy) October 11, 2018
For National Coming Out Day 2018, Kenworthy treated us to a sexy shot of him and boyfriend Matt Wilkas sharing a kiss, along with a lengthy post in which the athlete reminds us all, “Today is a gentle reminder to us all to live our lives honestly and authentically and not allow anybody else’s expectations to force us into silence.”
3. Writer, comedian and star of the new Heathers reboot Drew Droege
The always utterly hilarious Droege shared an amazing post on Facebook in which he says he doesn’t really have a “coming out story” but instead recalls the signs from a young age that he’d eventually come out: “These coming out stories have been really beautiful today. I don’t really have one. I mean, when I was four, my parents gave me watermelon and I said, ‘I don’t care for the texture.’ At the age of 6, I complimented my mom’s cousin on her ‘plum sweater.’ The next year I remarked that a girl on my soccer team looked like Eartha Kitt (oh my god she really did). Looking back, every single best friend I’ve had is now an out gay man. We talked about Mama Cass and Elvira and Jan Hooks and Kim Wayans and John Waters and Death Becomes Her. I had posters of Freddy Krueger, Madonna and Frank N. Furter over my bed. But for the longest time, I was nothing. I was terrified of sex, of dying, of being labeled, of being wrong, of being flawed. I didn’t understand how it was all connected and inseparable from my DNA. I was surrounded by love from my family and friends, who all knew and who were all patient. And oh sweet lord, what a wonderful life I’ve had and am having. I love watermelon now. And I am grateful to be here.”
4. Iceman Writer Sina Grace
He’s the man responsible for writing Marvel Comics’ Iceman series, which features the X-Men’s openly gay frosty fighter (Hornet even filmed the launch party for Iceman #1), and on Facebook Grace delivered a succinct message reminding us all that in addition to people coming out and being visible members of the LGBTQ community, it matters when beloved fictional characters do the same.
5. Our Favorite Netflix Series, Big Mouth
Whether you love boy cushions, girl cushions or maybe just people – love is love 🌈💖 #NationalComingOutDay pic.twitter.com/cRkGvxKaXV
— Big Mouth (@bigmouth) October 11, 2018
The show, which comes from the mind of Nick Kroll and dropped a second season on Netflix just last week, had a message for everyone who has fallen in love with its pubescent teen characters.
6. American Horror Story: Apocalypse Star Cheyenne Jackson
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoznUkjDdRJ/?taken-by=mrcheyennejackson
Jackson took to Instagram on National Coming Out Day 2018 to recount his struggle with coming out as a 19-year-old in a small town. “The family dynamic had to shift, friendships were tested and I had to start deciding who and what I was about,” he says.
