National Coming Out Day 2015 Campaign - Light The Way

Everyone's journey is their own. Not everyone goes through the same experience nor is any one of us the same, but we are all going through it or have gone through it. "Coming out" is the acknowledgement of oneself, whether this was stemmed from society's way of categorizing differences, or our need to celebrate them. Regardless, even though we are all individuals going through our own journeys, we don't have to go through it alone.

Coming out is not for everyone and it isn't meant to happen at any particular moment. Coming out starts with each individual, at their own pace on their own terms. When it comes to self discovery, not one answer is the right answer and each person is innately unique, like a cliche snowflake, or more importantly - a piece of light in the darkness. No matter the situation you are in, there is always another way out or another solution to a problem you can take - but there is only one you that the world has created. You were meant to do great things and impact so many wonderful people. Each of us might go through the journey differently, but we all stand together to light up the Darkness for the next person stuck in their Journey.

This small passion project was intended to shed some light to individuals who are struggling with their sexual and gender identities. That is not to say that these identity struggles are the only types of identity struggles. We as humans are multifaceted creatures who are rich with personality, love and potential. This is a project pulled together by Jay Zhang Photography but made into reality by the community members, both LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, and their Allies. Although there are only a small percentage of those who participated, there is a large percentage who open their hearts everyday and every night to those who need it. They are friends, and they are family. They are mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. They are lovers, strangers, social justice paladins, and warm hearted Samaritans.

Hopefully we reach as many people as possible. If this helps at least one person stay with us and show us how much they can love the world back, then we have succeeded in delivering the message. Please attach this brief when you share this on Facebook, on Instagram, on all social media so that the love of this community and all of its members be felt like a warm blanket in the dead of winter.

To those looking to turn to a third party for any type of situation and/or struggle, please call any of the hot-lines below.

National Suicide Hot-line: 800 273 8255 (https://www.afsp.org/)

Trans Life Line: 877 565 8860 (http://www.translifeline.org)

Your Local Pride centers [Albany NY]: (518) 462-6138

Find a Local Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Chapter: http://www.glsen.org/chapters?field_states_tid=11

If You're looking to find out if it gets better, believe me it does: http://www.itgetsbetter.org/

Donations are accepted to make the community better by reaching out to your local Pride Center, and GLSEN

Pride center Of the Capital Region: http://www.capitalpridecenter.org/donations/
GLSEN: https://donate.glsen.org/page/contribute/Donate