Happy National Coming Out Day, John. Today is a day to celebrate and stand in solidarity with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer folks in our communities. And as the first out state legislator in the Commonwealth’s history, today is also a day of reflection.

Serving as an openly-gay elected official means I have to look our opponents in the eye when I advocate for members of our community. I’ve been called names on the legislative floor and I’ve even received death threats. But all of that pales in comparison to the homophobia and transphobia that a lot of the folks I’m fighting for receive on a daily basis and so I’m proud to be in this fight.

I can only hope that standing strong in who I am and being a prominent representative of our community has inspired others to come out or to even run for office. The surge in LGBTQ representation in the years since I took office is exciting, John. It means our democracy is becoming stronger and more representative. It means we have more leaders that can empathize with the people they serve. It means kids can see themselves in their local leaders. And that’s powerful.

Today, I’m celebrating by reflecting and I hope you’re celebrating too.

— Brian

P.S. Today is also the time for many people to come out of the closet. If you’re lucky enough that someone feels they can come out to you, I want to say thank you for being a supportive ally. Continue to be a great listener and don’t worry if you don’t know all the right things to say. Head to PFLAG’s website for resources on how to be supportive to your loved ones in this amazing time.