Coming out can be challenging. But it is the out LGBT+ people that Czech society needs
When a conference of gay and lesbian activists was held in the United States in 1988, the idea of creating a day to encourage LGBT+ people to come out of the closet was born. The idea was simple but powerful: visibility changes attitudes in society. A year later, International Coming Out Day was celebrated for the first time on 11 October, marking the first anniversary of the March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights, which was attended by half a million people.
Coming Out Day encourages people to live in authenticity and without fear - whether by sharing their story publicly or just in their immediate surroundings. Gradually, countries around the world, including the Czech Republic, have joined the celebration. Today, this day is not only a celebration of the courage of queer people, but also a reminder that coming out is not a one-time event. It is a process that has a profound personal and social impact.
Coming out changes society
Research has long shown that face-to-face contact with LGBT+ people is one of the most effective tools against prejudice and homophobia. The latest CEDMO Trends survey from June 2025 backs this up with clear numbers.
There is a significantly higher level of acceptance among cis heterosexual people who personally know an LGBT+ person:
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25% of those who have a queer colleague say they are glad to have them at work.
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66% have no problem accepting them.
Conversely, where there is no LGBT+ person in the work environment, only 4% would welcome a queer colleague, and just under half (48%) would accept them. There is also a significantly higher proportion of those who would not mind a queer colleague (17% vs. 3%).
The story is similar for attitudes towards rights: 72% of people who know a lesbian, gay or bisexual person support equal marriage, compared to just 53% of those who don't know anyone queer.
It is clear from these numbers that coming out has societal significance. The more LGBT+ people who can live their lives openly, the more the public will know them personally - and the more acceptance and respect will grow.
Why coming out is still a challenge
Even in 2025, however, coming out remains a difficult and sensitive step for many people. Fear of reactions from family, classmates or colleagues is still strong, and often rightly so.
In the Being LGBT in the Czech Republic 2023 survey, 71% of respondents identified insults from politicians as a widespread phenomenon. A year later, 42% reported experiencing discrimination or harassment in the past 12 months - a significant increase from previous years.
On the internet, queer people are the second most frequently attacked group. According to this year's research on cyberbullying, one in five young LGBT+ people have experienced online hate, and a fifth of them on a daily basis. These experiences contribute to insecurity and the postponement of coming out, especially among young people.
The sbarvouven.cz counselling service has been helping for eleven years
The online counselling service sbarvouven.cz, run by Prague Pride, offers support in this process. For eleven years it has been helping people manage both the inner coming out (i.e. acceptance of oneself) and the outer one.
The counselling centre has supported almost 8,000 clients so far. Last year alone, 614 people, mostly under the age of 25 (85%), used it. It offers anonymous chat with mentors who share their own experiences, as well as crisis intervention. The most common theme is fear of rejection, cited by 32% of clients.
In addition to online chat, the counselling centre offers Find Your Colour support groups in five cities. This year, the first group specifically focused on gender identity was created.
