Civil Service Race Forum National Coming Out Day panel discussion in celebration of Black History Month 2025

In celebration of this year’s National Coming Out and Black History Month we are delighted to invite you to join this lunchtime event hosted by the Civil Service Race Forum’s Queer Trans and Intersex People of Colour Working Group on Friday 10th October, 13:00 - 14:00.

National Coming Out Day is held annually on 11 October and Black History Month is celebrated annually in the UK throughout the month of October.

National Coming Out Day (NCOD) is celebrated every year to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people to ‘come out of the closet’. “ Coming out is rarely a one-time event, due to existence of heteronormative assumptions many LGBTQIA+ people often find that they will need to come out repeatedly throughout their lives in and outside of the workplace. However, celebrating NCOD can be an extraordinarily powerful platform in helping to break down the barriers faced as LGBTQIA+ people. One of the core beliefs of NCOD is that homophobia and shame thrive in silence, and ‘coming out’ as who you really are is an important act of self-recognition and activism.

Black History Month (BHM) is celebrated every October to promote the history, achievements, and contributions of Black and mixed-race people in the UK from Africa, the Caribbean, and the wider diaspora. The theme for Black History Month this year is “Standing Firm in Power and Pride,” a powerful tribute to the resilience, strength, and unwavering commitment to progress that defines the Black community across the globe. This year, the theme highlights the profound contributions made by Black people be they leaders, activists, or pioneers who have shaped history, while also looking towards a future of continued empowerment, unity, and growth.