Scarlet & Gay: The OSU LGBTQ Alumni Society - NCOD Ad
NCOD Ad
A brief history of the National Coming Out Day Ad in The Lantern
Learn more about the NCOD Ad in The Lantern
National Coming Out Day (NCOD) was founded in 1988 by gay rights advocates Robert Eichberg and Jean O’Leary. Their goal was to celebrate “coming out” as a powerful act of visibility and political expression. They believed that homophobia stems from ignorance—and that when people realize their friends, family, and colleagues are LGBTQ, those views begin to change. October 11 was chosen to mark NCOD because it’s the anniversary of the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The first NCOD mentioned in The Lantern appeared on October 11, 1990, and you can see it here.
Over the years, NCOD awareness efforts at Ohio State have been led by various student groups and offices). For the past 15 years, Scarlet & Gay: The OSU LGBTQ Alumni Society has proudly underwritten the cost of the NCOD ad, thanks to generous contributions from individuals and organizations.
Patron-level sponsorship of the NCOD ad helps sustain Scarlet & Gay’s scholarship program, which now offers many different student scholarships. Patron champions also receive prominent recognition in Scarlet & Gay communications and events throughout the academic year. Any contributions beyond the cost of the ad go directly to scholarship support. And because access matters, individuals can sign the ad, even without making a financial contribution.