Oct 13, 2010 - Claremont, CA -

Harvey Mudd College celebrated National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11 with a luncheon in which a panel of students, faculty and staff shared with the community personal stories of coming out.

Around campus, allies of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community wore T-shirts bearing the phrase "gay? fine by me," a T-shirt project started in 2003 at Duke University with the mission to give voice to friends and supporters of LGBT people.

The day's events at HMC, hosted by the Office of Insitutional Diversity, were planned with the goal to “raise awareness of the courage that manifests when someone comes out to his or her family, friends and community.”

“It’s amazing to see the support for the LGBTQ community on campus,” said Assistant Dean for Diversity Angelica Ibarra, “I hope that with the support from the allies, students can have the strength to overcome their struggles and celebrate every aspect of their lives.”

National Coming Out Day, organized in 1988 to raise awareness, is now commemorated on college campuses and in communities nationally and internationally.