Coming Out Week offers chance for exploration

National Coming Out Week is looked at by many as something that
is exclusive to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
community. But coming out does not happen in a vacuum. Coming out
to the UCLA community is made easier when the entire campus is
aware of the struggles, efforts and issues LGBT students go
through.

The week is an opportunity for all students to ask questions,
listen to debates, go to workshops and learn about their peers. The
week’s success cannot be measured simply by the number of
LGBT students that come out to the events, but by the amount of
understanding it spreads to the entire UCLA community.

For students who have waited until college to come out, National
Coming Out Week is a special time when they are encouraged to
explore their sexuality and begin to find out who they really are
in a safe environment.

This week can be an opportunity for straight students as well.
Not all high schools have a lot of openly LGBT students, and many
people are in the dark about the LGBT community. From
transgender-friendly bathrooms to anti-gay speeches and crimes,
there are a lot of issues for all of us to examine.

Like the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the gay rights
movement is a crucial societal improvement.

Students and staff have been working on National Coming Out Week
since spring ““ this hard work deserves recognition.