Stand OUT and NAMI on Campus Southeastern participated in "Coming Out Day" by setting up a display in front of the Memorial Fountain. Jade Norbert/The Lion's Roar

According to Human Rights Campaign, “Coming Out Day” was designed to remind “one of our most basic tools is the power of coming out.” The organizations Stand OUT and NAMI on Campus hosted “Coming Out Day” on Oct. 11 in front of the Memorial Fountain.

NAMI President Chad Cashio expressed how his organization shares common goals with Stand OUT in what they want to reach to university members.

“We deal with a lot of the same issues and there’s so much overlap in the population that we’re aiming toward,” said Cashio. “It just makes sense to unite around these common goals.”

NAMI was particularly focusing on how mental illness affects LGBTQ+ students.

“Depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders are a lot more prevalent, unfortunately, among the queer population because there’s so much extra trauma than normal in the LGBTQ population especially in those that are the college age,” said Cashio.

NAMI member Kearra Moore discussed NAMI’s goal of informing people about mental illness and how to react to people diagnosed with a mental illness.

“We’re an organization that accepts people for who they are,” said Moore. “If they need someone to talk to then they can come talk to us without feeling like they are being judged or anything. It’s always good to know you have someone to talk to, no matter how much they don’t want to admit it.”

Stand OUT hopes to offer a place of congregation for students who feel their voices are not being directly acknowledged in the conversation of university matters. Ruby Cramer, an attendee of the “Coming Out Day” event on behalf of Stand OUT explained why it is important for a college campus to offer a voice to the spectrum that is sexuality.

“Since the university doesn’t take a stand on LGBTQ+ matters, it’s important to have clubs like Stand OUT on campus to support students that are part of the LGBTQ+ community to discuss the issues we might face, have fun, and provide other people information on how to be an ally,” said Cramer.

Stand OUT encouraged those who may have been hesitant participate in the event.

“First and foremost, you have to embrace yourself and you have to embrace who you are, what you want to be,” said Cramer. “But, it is okay to be cautious. Stand OUT is pretty friendly, and we can understand people when they want to be cautious.”