National Coming Out Day was held earlier this week on October 11th, which made a huge splash in many people's personal lives and all over social media. It's one of the toughest decisions to make in your life if you identify as LGBT, but later on down the line, what advice would you have given to your younger self on what you wish you knew back when? Maybe even before you came out?
That is exactly what television network LOGO is trying to accomplish with their powerful and incredible new campaign and series called "Letters to Myself".
TNewNowNext series, which launched two days before National Coming Out Day, features letters penned by 40 prominent figures in the LGBTQ community to their younger selves, which provide insight, advice, praise, and/or comfort that they wish they had back then.
Hailing from a variety of backgrounds and industries, the authors include actor Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman (UnREAL), Grammy Award-winning artist Melissa Etheridge, actor Daniel Franzese (Looking, Mean Girls), Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Alicia Garza, transgender activist Jazz Jennings (I Am Jazz), RuPaul’s Drag Race runner-up Peppermint, LCD Soundsystem’s Gavin Russom, RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Sasha Velour and many more.
The campaign was launched in hopes that today’s LGBTQ youth will understand that they are not alone – that their feelings, ambitions, hopes and dreams are often shared by those they look up to.
Here is a sampling of what some of them shared:
Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman: “You are light. You are right.”
Melissa Etheridge: “Start loving yourself as much as you want others to love you.”
Daniel Franzese: “The sooner you can learn to accept yourself, the sooner the world will be ready for your greatness.”
Alicia Garza: “The goodness of the world only prevails when we are courageous enough to defend it.”
Jazz Jennings: “You will see change be brought upon this world – a change that you will help create.”
Peppermint: “Thank you for daring to find your place even though it meant you will be called names and attacked.”
Gavin Russom: “Find other girls like you and listen to their stories. They will help you understand your own.”
Sasha Velour: “There will be many missteps. Make sure you are wearing cute shoes.”
More information on this can be found here.