Organizers and attendees hailed Stanford’s fifth annual National Coming Out Day in White Plaza yesterday afternoon as a success, praising University support for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community on campus.

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LGBT Community members commemorate National Coming Out Day in White Plaza at noon. #gallery http://daily.stanford.org/image/full/6367
Claire Lorentzen

LGBT Community members commemorate National Coming Out Day in White Plaza at noon.

National Coming Out Day (NCOD) was founded in memory of the first march for gay and lesbian rights, held in 1987 in Washington D.C.

Event coordinator Nicole Hartfield, a sophomore, explained that although the official NCOD is celebrated on Oct. 11, the LGBT Community Resource Center decided to observe it a week later because of the late start of Stanford’s autumn quarter.

George Morris, a junior and the event’s other coordinator, said, “Personally, I think the event’s objective is to teach Stanford students and faculty the meaning of ‘being’ or ‘coming out’ with respect to issues that extend beyond the queer definition.”

The event included performances by Stanford Spoken Word and loudspeakers projecting recordings of students’ coming out stories.

“I really do believe in the message of a safe space for all identities,” said senior Jessica Lewis, a member of Spoken Word. “The theme ‘Face Yourself’ is not just about sexuality; it can be about issues like race or cultural identity. It’s really about everything.”

2005 graduate Marlon Footracer, a Native American, said he found strength and comfort for his coming out by reciting a Navajo prayer entitled “Beauty Way Chant.”

“It’s a chant you say to make yourself balanced and whole,” he said, “a way to create harmony and peace within yourself.”

Whether people came to mingle, eat food or hear their classmates narrate their struggles and triumphs, students said they sensed a feeling of solidarity and support among participants.

“The gay community is so open and proud here,” said freshman Teak Sowaprux, who represented the Queer Asian Society at the event. “It really does feel like a family.”

Morris said he was also impressed with the level of participation and attendance.

“It’s important to have events like these year after year,” he said, “to introduce and invite our newest students and faculty to recognize and respect that diversity is an important and active issue on the personal level and that it translates to our society as a whole, whether queer or along other lines.”

Junior Laurence Moore said he hopes that the Stanford community continues to support the LGBT-CRC and its future endeavors.

“Although there are certainly conservative elements on campus, the administration has been wonderful,” he said. “They foster a great community that allows for events like this to happen.”