Despite the rain, many showed their support to rally on the Quad for National Coming Out Day this Wednesday. This annual campaign is an effort to promote homosexuality awareness and embrace the coming out process. Junior in Engineering and a member of the student organization PRIDE Joseph Rybka says he’s thrilled by the numbers that appeared at the rally.

“Shows a lot of people that there are a lot of us even though since we’re not see-able in everyday life, I think it’s really nice that we can see a huge people that are allies and queer.”

Coming out day is actaully a monthlong national celebration in which members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community and their allies celebrate their sexuality. It also is a time to offer courage and support to those who are still questioning or are reluctant to come out. Rybka says today is more of a group effort to help others.

“I think for some people it shows that it’s more of a “we can do it together” kind of thing. You don’t feel alone when you come out, you feel as though you’re part of a much larger community.”

At the rally, many students shared their own coming out stories as well as speeches from the women’s program and the office of LGBT concerns. “This is what we look like” is the title of this year’s theme in which is on the program’s shirts. Director of the Office of LGBT concerns Curt McKay says it’s a statement of who they are despite the difference in sexual orientation.

“It’s exactly that, this is what we look like and what we look like is exactly everybody else. That we come in all shapes and colors and sizes and from all kinds of backgrounds just as straight people do. and that we’re the same as everyone else with the exception of this on important aspect, which is that who we’re atracted to, who we want to form our relationships with.”

National Coming Out day continued last night with a lecture by journalist Helen Zia.