National Coming Out Days are a weeklong celebration for MSU students to proudly celebrate who they are.
The day was established on Oct. 11, 1988, as a way to honor a 1987 march on Washington for lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender equality.
Social relations senior Franny Howes said the week was what helped her feel comfortable her freshman year at MSU.
"National Coming Out Days of my first year here was really a clincher for my involvement," she sad. "I finally knew this was the place for me."
The week started off Thursday with a candlelight vigil at the rock on Farm Lane. It also includes a Rainbow Rush dance that was held Saturday, a lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender film festival and art show Sunday and discussions on transgender and bisexual identities throughout the week.
Students also are encouraged to honor Indigenous People's Day on Monday and Accessibility Awareness Week as a way to support other minority groups.
English senior Craig Reed said it's important for people to come out in order to maintain honesty among close friends and family.
Reed said being able to come out to his family has made them closer.
"We are a family now, instead of a bunch of individuals hiding things from one another," he said.
Coming out is also important in order to break stereotypes and end unnecessary fear of the LBGT community, MSU College of Law student Omar Waite said.
"If you hide in the closet, everyone is going to think you have to still be fearful," he said. "You fear what you don't know. And if you don't know gay people, you're going to fear."
The week's events, such as the Rainbow Rush, provided an experience not necessarily available to high school students in the LBGT community. No-preference freshman Kate Salada contrasted the LBGT dance to school dances in her hometown.
When she attended a school dance with her girlfriend in high school, she promptly left after 15 minutes because she was uncomfortable, Salada said.
She said that the Rainbow Rush was a more accepting event.
"This is a hundred times better," she said. "It makes me feel a lot more comfortable about my sexual orientation, because I don't walk into a room and have people look at me like, 'Oh, it's you,' which is what I received at that dance. It's just a wonderful feeling of acceptance."
The festivities are open to all students and are represent different parts of the LBGT community.
Social relations and women's studies senior Jon Hoadley said it's an important celebration of self.
"National Coming Out Day is about being who you are, being out about it and finding out that life outside the closet is a lot more fun," he said.
