"The only thing I can say for certain is that once I owned who I am, a great burden was lifted from me" (Mark Nelson)

The logo was created and donated to the Human
Rights Campaign (HRC) by Keith Haring.

by Ken

Mark Nelson, the founder and president of Mark Nelson Events, which describes itself as "a promotions, publicity, and entertainment production firm specializing in nightlife events in New York and nationally," sends out a weekly e-mail called the Mark Nelson Newsletter, which contains news of his company's upcoming events, of course, but also offers informal, reader-friendly musings of all sorts from the native Minnesotan (this comes up frequently in his posts). The newsletter is free (you can sign up at the above link), and I can tell you it's one piece of e-mail that drops into my mailbox which I always take at least a moment to look at.

I guess nothing I've written so far indicates that Mark's area of concentration is LGBT-oriented events, businesses, and activities. I like to think, though, that this latest newsletter post won't be of interest only to LGBT-centric readers, even though the event that inspired it is National Coming Out Day, which I learned from Mark is coming up next Tuesday, October 11 (in the U.S.; in the U.K. it's October 12). It's obviously deeply personal, and I find it an altogether lovely and powerful reflection on the often-messy process we all go through of figuring out and coming to grips with some simple facts of who we are.

Celebrate Life & Love

Tuesday, October 11, 2011 in the USA (October 12 in The United Kingdom) is National Coming Out Day (NCOD).
This is an internationally observed civil awareness day for coming out & discussion about gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people (LGBT) & asexuals.
It is observed by members of the LGBT communities & their supporters (often referred to as allies) on October 11 every year or October 12 in the United Kingdom.
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When I was in college, I started to explore the LGBT world. I went to a club called the Gay 90's on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis.
This place looked like Vegas Casino
Huge flashing Marquee announcing itself
I was very tipsy (felt I needed that to prepare myself)
I wandered in, nervous as hell.
The place is made up of various rooms, a leather bar, a dance club, a Drag Queen performance space, a cowboy Bar and a Go Go lounge.
Basically a Gay Mall.
I had a girlfriend at the time, which certainly weighed heavy on my mind.
Nothing happened that night.
But a guy from my college saw me.
He was OUT and proud.
He also was delusional & told whoever would listen that not only was I there.
He slept with me!
I was horrified on ALL counts.
I approached him to discuss, & he was belligerent & unapologetic
He said: YOU need to come OUT
I thought about this
And I asked him, who outed him?
He was perplexed.
No one, he replied.
I then asked: Why are you doing this to me?
He said that he felt it needed to be done.
For which I continued: Let me do this on my time.
And thankfully, he flamed down for a bit, & understood, that each person should be given the opportunity to evolve as they feel comfortable.
Have I outed people over the years.
Sadly, I have.
I am not proud of it, and wish I would have thought of my own experiences.

The only thing I can say for certain is that once I owned who I am, a great burden was lifted from me.

That was nearly 25 years ago.
A great deal has happened in our world to make life easier.
But yet, bullies still pick on others.

So our work to make life full of acceptance & joy continues.
On Tuesday, celebrate yourselves & your friends.
Love yourself & tell your LGBT & for that matter EVERYONE, that you love them
Mean it!

Come celebrate w/us Friday @ Fairgrounds @ Six Flags
It will be a wonderful evening to be LOUD & PROUD!
x
Mark

ABOUT FRIDAY'S SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE OUTING
(THE UNCONTROVERSIAL KIND OF "OUTING," THAT IS)

The Fairgrounds @ Six Flags event Friday evening which Mark refers to is the eighth annual LGBT night at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey, which was postponed from September 23 because of flooding and dangerous storm conditions in the area. (What better time for it, though, than Erev Yom Kippur? Hey, I'm just kidding. I realize rescheduling such an event must be a nightmare.)

I discovered two years ago that parks like Great Adventure aren't my thing, but I went again last year, and I'll be boarding one of the buses from New York's LGBT Center again on Friday. (Don't ask.) It's still possible -- I believe through tomorrow -- to buy tickets at the advance-purchase price of $50 (see the link above; it's $65 at the gate), and I believe it's still possible to book bus transport from various locations, including New York City and Philadelphia.

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