National Coming Out Day is a day recognized by the LGBT community in celebration of coming out of the closet so that they can live truthfully and openly. In recent years, many celebrities celebrate this day and share their stories of coming out with fans to encourage them to do the same.

Learn more about the celebration after the jump!

National Coming Out Day is an international celebration, observed annually on October 11 to recognize members of the LGBT community. It is a time to be open about one’s sexual orientation and gender identity.

Oct. 11, 1987 half a million people participated in the second March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The LGBT community often reacted defensively to anti-LGBT actions so instead of marching again, they came up with the idea of a national day to celebrate coming out and chose the anniversary of the second march on Washington to mark it.

Many have taken this day to share their coming out stories on youtube, while others use this day to come out of the closet for the first time and be open about their sexuality. Check out a few celebrity coming out stories down below!

Robin Roberts

Don Lemon

Laverne Cox