Why We Should Stand Up To Hate for Nigel Shelby on National Coming Out Day

Savas Abadsidis October 11, 2022

National Coming Out Day can be liberating for many but it’s also still a privilege that we take for granted. Brian Keith Jackson, author of The View From Here, underscored this beautifully in a poignant tweet about Nigel Shelby today.

Shelby if you recall was a high school student in Alabama who came out when he was 14 and was bullied so badly that he took his own life just days after his 15th birthday in 2019.

Shelby was described as full of light prior to coming out and equally dark in the days before he committed suicide.

Jackson tweeted:

I often think about Nigel Shelby. On #NationalComingOutDay, it is not enough to encourage people to “come out.”
We must fight to assure/ensure they feel comfortable and protected in doing so. Courage is about standing up to hate, no matter your age or sexuality.

I often think about Nigel Shelby. On #NationalComingOutDay, it is not enough to encourage people to “come out.” We must fight to assure/ensure they feel comfortable and protected in doing so. Courage is about standing up to hate, no matter your age or sexuality. pic.twitter.com/6PhckToLto
— Brian Keith Jackson (@bkjwordplay) October 11, 2022

Jackson added:

“I know horrible things happen daily, but something about his story ripped me open and continues to do so. We honor him in remembering, as well as understanding, that he could have been us.”

Brian Keith Jackson is a writer and the author of The Queen of Harlem, The View From Here, and Walking Through Mirrors. He is a contributing Arts & Culture writer for the New York Times and New York magazine.

You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram.