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Why the onus shouldn’t be on LGBTIQ+ people to ‘come out’

OPINION: LGBTIQ+ people are expected to declare who we are. But when we come out, there’s no guarantee of respect

Why the onus shouldn’t be on LGBTIQ+ people to ‘come out’
Singer Emeli Sandé is among the celebrities who came out in 2022 | Deml Ondrej / Alamy Stock Photo
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Today is National Coming Out Day. For many people, that might mean feeling truly seen for the first time.

If coming out brings you power, or you think that coming out might bring power to other LGBTIQ+ people – whether open, not open or questioning – then that’s more than enough reason to come out.

But the onus should never be on us to declare that we are not like everyone else.