A weeklong celebration supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender visibility and awareness begins Monday.

National Coming Out Day has been celebrated nationwide every Oct. 11 since 1988 to commemorate the anniversary of a march in Washington for gay and lesbian rights in 1987. Celebrated with rallies, speeches and other events, the day encourages LGBT persons to communicate with friends and family about important issues in their lives.

“National Coming Out Day, or week, is a great opportunity for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Ally community to celebrate and increase awareness on important issues facing the community,” said Ellen Semran, coordinator of LGBT Student Services and co-adviser to the ISU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Ally Alliance.

National Coming Out Day celebrations at Iowa State are supported by the LGBTAA and LGBTSS.

The alliance is in charge of this week’s festivities.

Both groups provide services to the same community, but the LGBTAA is a source for social activities for Iowa State’s LGBTA community, and LGBTSS provides student support services.

This week’s activities include sessions and programs, such as “Allies in Action!” Drag Camps, “GenderYouth” and the LGBTSS Open House.

Friday is the National Coming Out Day Rally and the “Cleanin’ Out the Closet” Drag Show.

Both events are open to the public.

The rally will host speakers such as Semran, Dean of Students Pete Englin, students from the LGBTAA and students from other campus organizations.

Friday’s Drag Show is the week’s most anticipated event. The Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance and the LGBTAA co-sponsored the event that is expected to sell out this year.

“We sold out two years ago, and we had a great turnout last year, so I expect or hope to sell out this year,” said Jen Sanford, president of the LGBTAA.

The alliance has already sold out 400 National Coming Out Day “It’s OK with Me” shirts and has a long waiting list for more.

There haven’t been problems at previous ISU National Coming Out Day events related to protests or other opposition to the events, Sanford said. Despite heightened awareness toward these controversial issues due to the upcoming elections, neither group expects problems this year either.

“We’ve always had a really good response from the campus as far as our events, so I’m not anticipating anything [to happen] this year,” Sanford said.

However, both the alliance and the LGBTSS do hope that voters keep LGBT issues on their mind when they vote.

“I’m an individual who hopes to increase awareness and acceptance,” Semran said.

“And it’s really important for the general public to think about this issue as being beyond religion — it’s about people’s civil rights.”

The LGBTAA, a nonpartisan group, will have voter registration forms at all events this week. Registered voters will only have to pay $3 to get into the Drag Show.

The regular admission price is $7.

“We’re doing our best to encourage every member of our group to register and get out to the polls,” Sanford said.

“There is a lot riding on this election.”