In Your Own Words: Gender, Sexuality, Identity and Coming Out

"In Your Own Words: Gender, Sexuality, Identity and Coming Out" A National Coming Out Day Event with Performances, Open Mic and Food! Thursday, October 9, 2014 5:30-7:30pm Multicultural Community Center Hearst Annex D-37 ~Sign-ups to perform are also open at the door from 5:00-5:30pm Want to be a part of a safe space that explodes the idea that there is a right "coming out" story, and that celebrates our many queer, trans* and/or LGBTQ+ stories? Come creatively express yourself, "In Your Own Words" - open mic sign-ups below, no experience necessary! Or, just come support your community and listen! Come listen to student pieces on gender, sexuality, identity and coming out - and/or share your own. Our National Coming Out Day is an event to honor our many queer, trans* and/or LGBTQ+ stories - and to particularly celebrate that no two of our stories about gender, sexuality and coming out are the same. National Coming Out Day, officially on October 11th, remembers the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights and encourages members of the LGBTQ community to come out and celebrate our identities. For more information about the history of NCOD, see http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/the-history-of-coming-out. *If you're interested in taking the mic and unleashing your creative side with poetry, speeches, spoken word, or a story, please sign up here or at the door before the show: https://docs.google.com/a/berkeley.edu/forms/d/10mIF99AsTtI_SztfJTON4V1o8jHXFpYbuCy1ggnx4AY/viewform We ask that individuals speak for a maximum of 5 minutes, but if you have a piece that needs more time let us know how long you would need on the sign-up form! If you'd like to speak, but don't know what to talk about, here are a couple of questions to think about: 1. What does "coming out" mean to you? Share a story or your thought relating to the theme of coming out. 2. What is the significance of your identity? What is the journey of your experiences and how have they led you to understand yourself? 3. How does your identity affect your surroundings, or vice versa, today? How do your environments play a role in how you navigate the world? 4. Share a poem, video, speech created or written by someone you admire. 5. Create your own prompt relating to any of the themes!