Since 1988, National Coming Out Day has celebrated the courage of living openly and authentically. That same year, artist Keith Haring created his powerful National Coming Out Day painting to honor the courage, pride, and joy of the LGBTQ+ community. At a time when LGBTQ+ people face relentless attacks on our rights and dignity, your art and your voice send a powerful message: we will not be silenced.
The Human Rights Campaign is proud to host the National Coming Out Day Artist Exhibition, uplifting the creativity and resilience of our community. Whether through painting, photography, video, or mixed media—your story matters, and your contribution helps us shine brighter together.
How to participate:
1. Complete the submission form below.
2. Your creativity is more than expression—it’s resistance, it’s visibility, and it’s power. To help spark inspiration, consider these guiding questions as you create:
• How does coming out embody courage, joy, and love in your life or community?
• What does visibility and authenticity mean to you—and how can art capture that spirit?
• If you could reimagine Keith Haring’s National Coming Out Day painting for today, what would it look like? Artists may respond to one or more of these prompts, but they are not required.
3. Email your artwork to [email protected] as an attachment (photo, video, PDF, etc.). Personalize/name the file: FIRSTNAME_LASTNAME so we can attribute it to you. Please keep files no greater than 25 MB.
Your creativity is more than expression—it’s resistance, it’s visibility, and it’s power.
Want to take your impact even further? Add your name to One Million Voices for Equality and help us show the true strength and unity of our community: https://hrc.im/millionvoices.
Let’s send a clear message together: we won’t tolerate hate and discrimination.