Ole Miss Hosts HRC President Chad Griffin and Academy Award-Winner Dustin Lance Black

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — On Tuesday, October 14, Chad Griffin, President of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, and Dustin Lance Black, Academy Award-Winning screenwriter of the groundbreaking 2008 film Milk, will speak at a forum at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) about the critical importance of LGBT people and their straight allies sharing their courageous stories and coming out. The event coincides with the upcoming celebration of National Coming Out Day, now in its 26th year.

“Coming out is the single most powerful way to change hearts and minds in our state,” said HRC Mississippi State Director Rob Hill. “Everyone has a different story and each one is essential to advancing institutional and legal change in our communities.”

When people know someone who is LGBT, they are far more likely to support equality under the law. HRC encourages LGBT people and straight allies to share their stories and has resources available that can be helpful to start those conversations.

“We welcome this HRC forum and its focus on values important to our community,” said Brandi Hephner LaBanc, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. “This program aligns with our spirit of being a family – a place where all people are comfortable being who they are. As the university creed expresses so well, we are dedicated to an open and diverse environment, one that values fairness, civility and respect for the dignity of each person.”

The event will begin at 7:00pm on Tuesday, October 14, 2014, and will be held in Nutt Auditorium on the University of Mississippi’s campus. Members of the media who are interested in attending should contact Hubert Tate at 202-216-1568 or Hubert.tate@hrc.org.

Learn more about the history of National Coming Out Day as well as helpful coming out guides by visiting HRC’s website.

Sponsors for the event include the Ole Miss Office of the Chancellor, Multicultural Affairs, College of Liberal Arts, Department of English, Department of Political Science, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Department of Theater Art, School of Law, Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement, Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies, William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, UM Pride Network, OUTlaw, Luckyday Residential College, and Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Oxford.