World Coming Out Day: 'It has a power to it I didn't realise'
Video report from ITV News reporter Katharine Walker
Coming out is a big decision and research shows growing up LGBT+ is ''still unacceptably tough.''
Youtube star and influencer Niki Albon has known he was gay since he was 12. But, it took him more than 15 years until he felt ready to tell his friends and family.
Niki said: ''I came out just before turning 29. My biggest issue was not knowing [what reaction I'd get]. Am I still going to be friends with this person in ten minutes time?"
Influencer Niki Albion explains why it took him a while to come out
Niki added: "Characters growing up in TV film, radio books were all tragic gay characters all had some sad back story about how their family had dumped them or their friends hadn't accepted them".
First celebrated in 1988, International Coming Out Day celebrates the power of visibility. But new research from youth charity Just Like Us shows that concerns about safety and discrimination still play a big part in someone's decision to come out.
Today is Niki's first Coming Out Day, where is he is out and proud. He hopes his story of self-acceptance and self-discovery will make a difference and help others navigate their own path to coming out.
Niki said: ''I've never celebrated Coming Out Day before. This is the first time I've been out for it. It's a special moment of appreciation of how far I've come personally. I feel like it adds a new warmth and guides me in different ways, as I'm being my authentic self. It has a power to it I didn't realise.''
He added: ''Being gay isn't all of who I am but it's a significant part of who I am. Not acknowledging that or addressing that really held me back.''
It's an issue that Ameet Vaghela, who lives in Brighton, wants to change. It took him years to come out to his own parents and he hopes greater awareness will lead to greater acceptance.
He said: "I think Coming Out Day is really important day is really important. The idea of coming out is about identity and who you are".
"You should be able to celebrate that whenever you can if you're able to but to give people the chance to do that is great. There are lots of people who struggle with it and there are lots of people who are out and proud about it".
Amy Ashenden, Just Like Us
Amy Ashenden, from Just Like Us, wants people to remember coming out can be a very difficult process. She is calling for more education and more support for the LBGQ+ community.
''Coming Out Day can be a great celebration for those of us that are able to be out as LBGT+ and able to celebrate that. But, it's also a stark reminder that a lot of people aren't able to be out or aren't able to be out at work or to their family. ''