Today is “National Coming Out Day,” which according to the Human Rights Campaign, marks the anniversary of October 11, 1987, in which half a million people participated in a March in Washington DC for Lesbian and Gay Rights. They state that:

“It was the second such demonstration in our nation’s capital and resulted in the founding of a number of LGBT organizations, including the National Latino/a Gay & Lesbian Organization (LLEGÓ) and AT&T’s LGBT employee group, LEAGUE. The momentum continued four months after this extraordinary march as more than 100 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists from around the country gathered in Manassas, Va., about 25 miles outside Washington, D.C. Recognizing that the LGBT community often reacted defensively to anti-gay actions, they came up with the idea of a national day to celebrate coming out and chose the anniversary of that second march on Washington to mark it.”

Another celebrity celebrating today is Ke$ha, one of Adam’s friends. Ke$ha joined forces with the Human Rights Campaign and created a special t-shirt for the occasion. The proceeds will go towards the HRC’s work to achieve equality for the LGBT community.

Friend Factor, who Adam re-tweeted, is an organization in which friends to come together to stand up for their gay friends’ rights. Earlier this year, Adam informed his fans about the organization via Twitter. His tweet had such a huge effect, Adam’s fans even crashed a Friend Factor event ticketing website. To learn more about Friend Factor and how you can help, visit their website.

Source: Gather

I truly admire Lambert’s courage in speaking out. Coming out and revealing our true personalities is our key to our own freedom and practice our human rights. Just like Adam, we have to stand up in what we believe in.

“Well, first of all, I hope not … because we should be judging on talent and viability in the music industry, and [Adam Lambert and Kris Allen] both had that.”

Kara then added the surprisingly frank comment, “I don’t think that Adam was ever in [the closet]. I think he was always openly out.” Barbara Walters then repeated the question to Ms. DioGuardi about whether she thought the 27-year-old musical theater vet was truly out. She says firmly: “I think he was. I mean from what I’ve seen … I do. I never thought he wasn’t.”

“In our classes, we got into some real intense acting techniques that helped the students focus their emotional energy. You have to know enough about yourself to know what you can bring to an audience, and even as a young child, Adam was very in tune with his soul.”

Lynne Broyles also said, “Adam Lambert never thought that he had a free ride. He was always wanting to grow and always wanting to find that next great vocal. Whenever he did something new or special, he would never say, ‘Wasn’t I great?’ He would say, ‘Wasn’t that fun?’” What an awesome attitude! Love you Adam! =) As for his falsetto voice, Lynne said vocal exercises and singing techniques helped the American Idol finalist to hang on to his boyish falsetto as he got older.

The wild singer performed with both groups until he graduated from Mt. Carmel High School in 2000 then he headed to Los Angeles where he still lives until now. In San Diego, Adam Lambert started in the ensemble of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” and ended up playing lead roles in “Big River,” “The Secret Garden” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” His résumé also includes a European tour of “Hair” and a stint in the Los Angeles production of “Wicked.” Impressed with Adam Lambert so far?

Given the wealth of theater experience Adam Lambert soaked up under the tutelage on the MET2 stage (of which Kathie Urban is a producer), the jump to join “American Idol” was a natural one for the singer. Kathie remembers, “I know in the beginning, there was talk about how he’s too musical theater and too over the top … I think his musical-theater background has helped to make him the incredible performer he is — and have the physicality onstage that’s necessary to engage and audience. Adam Lambert’s ability to draw you in and just everything he does — just exudes performance and entertaining … and that’s what I feel some of the other ones don’t do.”

“He came in as a little squirt, maybe a third-grader and stayed with us through his teens. My husband was good at recognizing young talent and when he did he poured more of himself into those kids. There’s a sparkle and a passion you see in the young people [like Lambert] that’s in their eyes and body language, where you can tell they want to please you, and you can see they get a joy and excitement from doing it.”

Adam Lambert started out over an eight-year stint at the children’s theater in the chorus of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Then he became the lead in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” He starred as Huckleberry Finn in “Big River” and played both male leads in “The Secret Garden.” Though “Garden” was vocally challenging, Kathie said her husband was confident Adam Lambert could handle it. And once he hit the stage, she recalled, the reaction was, “Oh my God, we had tears in our eyes.” Way to go young Adam! ^_^