East LA College 1st in district to raise pride flag in solidarity of National Coming Out Day
East L.A. College also held a ribbon cutting for their new Husky Pride Center.
MONTEREY PARK, Calif. (KABC) -- On Tuesday, many events across Southern California were held in honor of National Coming Out Day.
At East Los Angeles College, supporters raised an LGBTQ+ Progress Pride flag.
According to officials, the school is the first in the L.A. Community College District to raise the flag on campus, and the school celebrated the ribbon cutting of their new Husky Pride Center.
"This whole campus is one of the most, like, actually like inclusive areas," said Thursday Storm, a student at the college. "It's the most important because, one, you don't feel as discriminated. You understand that your own self-identity would be protected."
At the L.A. LGBTQ Center, the L.A. chapter of the National Association of LGBTQ Journalists held its first student mixer event where students got to meet and network with working professionals.
"We picked National Coming Out Day because we wanted to be about featuring the companies, partnerships, and outlets where our student members could be their authentic selves freely and safely," said Richard Martinez, president of the association's L.A. chapter.
In a series of tweets, Karine Jean-Pierre - the first openly gay press secretary - shared her coming out story.
In one of the tweets Jean-Pierre wrote: "On #NationalComingOutDay, I'm proud to share my coming out story. Like so many in the LGBTQ+ community, coming out wasn't an easy thing to do. My family was traditional and conservative. Being gay in my family wasn't something that you mentioned out loud or celebrated."
The LBGTQ Center Long Beach also held an event full of resources and activities. Executive Director Carlos Torres said this day also sheds light on the importance of mental health.
"The mental health piece and Coming Out Day I think are really crucial and an important topic that should not be dismissed or minimized," said Torres. "Being in the closet can feel so lonely. It can feel like no one understands who you are or how you feel about yourself ... There is nothing wrong with you and who you are as an individual."
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