Attention Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Veterans: American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) encourages you to 'come out' and tell your stories on National Veterans Coming Out Day, October 11, in conjunction with National Coming Out Day.

According to the Urban Institute, there are approximately 1 million LGBT veterans living in America today. Starting on Coming Out Day and continuing through Veterans Day, AVER will be featuring veterans' Coming Out stories on their website to honor all those who served in silence and still do. As is seen in many newspapers across the nation, AVER will also be hosting a Coming Out registry on their website for any veteran who wants to add their name to the list as an Out and Proud Veteran. This includes folks who have been out for years; do people know that you are not just LGBT but also a veteran?

To sign the registry or to share your story, go to www.aver.us/NVCOD/comeout.php Veterans who want their story known but aren't ready to come out "by name" nationally, can opt to submit anonymously. AVER is also fielding anonymous stories from service members currently serving in silence to help get their stories out. AVER has many members who are still serving and knows how crucial protecting their anonymity is at all times; therefore, stories from current service members will only be identified by rank and service branch.

To help increase support for HR1059 - The Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2005, a bill to abolish "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" - AVER hopes that veterans will use their strong voices to come out and change the image of what an LGBT veteran is all about. Veterans have very strong voices in our nation's political and social landscapes, and AVER believes that LGBT veterans stand on a unique threshold where they can increase understanding between the two communities -- if they are Out.

AVER suggests coming out efforts such as getting involved with Coming Out Day activities in local communities, coming out as an LGBT veteran to friends, family and coworkers, writing a letter about serving in silence to the local news editor, using the http://www.military.com free Buddy Finder service to come out to old military buddies, and/or writing a compelling letter to your Member of Congress in support of H.R. 1059. http://www.house.gov

Come out for the first time or come out all over again, and then add your name to the growing list of LGBT veterans who served proudly and honorably at www.aver.us/NVCOD/comeout.php. 65,000 LGBT service members and all those who will follow in the future are depending on each one of us to stand united across the nation.

To learn more about AVER or National Veterans Coming Out Day, please visit http://www.aver.us. General Coming Out information can be found at http://www.hrc.org. For those on campus taking advantage of the GI Bill, visit http://www.campuspride.net.

AVER also suggests that retirees read the retiree section of the SLDN Survival Guide at http://www.sldn.org.

Members of every other minority served in our military long before gaining their equal rights. AVER believes that gaining equal standing and protection from discrimination in the military is vital to gaining all other equal rights for LGBT service members, veterans and civilians alike.

HONORABLE SERVICE DEMANDS EQUALITY - JOIN YOUR FELLOW LGBT VETERANS AND 'COME OUT' ON OCTOBER 11TH!