Sarah Ford | February 11, 2014

HRC Black History Month Series: Coming Out as Black and Queer

Source: Human Right Campaign

The following excerpt from Romeo Jackson is part of HRC’s month-long Black History Month series, lifting up the voices of LGBT African Americans and allies who are making a difference in the fight for equality and social justice:


romeojackson HRC Black History Month Blog seriesThe LGBT civil rights movement was built around the power of coming out, and for this reason, we rarely examine the standard coming out narrative. Our current definition of coming out is far too narrow to accommodate the diversity that exists within the larger LGBT community. When I hear the national narrative on coming out, rarely do I hear the experiences of trans people, asexual people, or people of color represented. It seems these experiences are often over looked, and because of this, the coming out process as experienced by LGBT people of color is sometimes misrepresented and/or misunderstood.

Coming out can often look different for LGBT people of color. Sometimes the process may be understated and not draped in the rainbows and glitter we are used to seeing during Pride Month. Instead the process may focus more on “coming in” to an internal sense of self-worth that many of my peers rarely feel in a society that consistently reminds us that being queer/trans and a person of color is subpar.

Because many people of color reject the label of LGB, and prefer to go unlabeled or identify with the less commonly used term “same gender loving,” we see these coming out experiences as insufficient or “not as good.” There is a lack of awareness among the general population that…

>> Continue Reading

Get Resources and Insights Straight To Your Inbox

Explore More Articles

Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

July 18, 2025

July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the unique mental health challenges faced by minority communities. It’s an…

Read Article

International Self Care Day

July 18, 2025

Today, July 24, 2025, we celebrate International Self Care Day, a day dedicated to promoting self-care practices and their numerous benefits for physical, mental, and…

Read Article
How the “Big Beautiful Bill” Will Impact Individual Giving and Employer-Sponsored Workplace Giving Programs

How the “Big Beautiful Bill” Will Impact Individual Giving and Employer-Sponsored Workplace Giving Programs

July 14, 2025

The One Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law on July 4, 2025, introducing a range of provisions that will affect how individuals, companies, and…

Read Article

Get Resources and Insights Straight To Your Inbox

Receive our monthly/bi-monthly newsletter filled with information about causes, nonprofit impact, and topics important for corporate social responsibility and employee engagement professionals, including disaster response, workplace giving, matching gifts, employee assistance funds, volunteering, scholarship award program management, grantmaking, and other philanthropic initiatives.

newsletter-mock