On October 11, 1987 hundreds of thousands of people participated in the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.  They marched with a platform that not only included demands for change in the existing laws affecting lesbian and gay citizens of the United States but also to end discrimination against AIDS- and HIV-positive individuals, as well as ending racism in the United States and apartheid in South Africa.   The momentum of the march led to the founding of several lesbian and gay rights organizations across the country.  To commemorate the march “National Coming Out Day” was established on October 11, 1988.  National Coming Out Day is an annual event, now promoted by the Human Rights Campaign, to increase the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community.  It is an opportunity to celebrate diversity, something we strive to do every day here at the USPTO.  On October 11, 2018, we will celebrate the 30^th anniversary of National Coming Out Day.

If you are an employee who is still in the closet, I encourage you to consider coming out.  In his essay that cautions on overemphasizing coming out of the closet Preston Mitchum says:  “focusing so intensely on coming out places the burden on the individual to brave society rather than on society to secure the safety of the individual….if our society does not actively work to make things better, the lives of LGBT people will not get better.”  Therefore if you are an employee who is not LGBTQ+ I encourage you to practice being an ally.  Ensure that you create a welcoming environment where employees do not fear coming out at work.  Place a “safe space” magnet on your doorframe to show you are an ally.  While the agency has Agency Administrative Orders (AAOs) that prohibit sexual orientation, gender identity harassment, and discrimination, I think it is of equal if not greater importance that we foster a culture of equality and diversity within our Agency.

We at Lambda PTO recognize the hypervisibility that comes with being out of the closet, especially if you are a person of color, or a person with a disability, or any other marginalized group in addition to your sexual orientation or gender identity.  If you don’t feel comfortable coming out yet, we still support you.  We hope that you will do so when you are ready.  If you do feel ready and would like to come out to your supervisor or your workgroup, we have resources through OEEOD and Lambda PTO to help you through that seemingly difficult conversation.  If you are out and you feel you have been discriminated or harassed, we are here to help you navigate the process of seeking resolution.  At the United States Patent and Trademark Office we know that our Agency is strengthened by the complex and overlapping diversity of our people.   And we want each individual employee to celebrate their diversity and be proud!