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Citizens dance under a giant rainbow flag during the Gay Pride parade in Pristina on Oct. 10, 2018. Getty Images/Armend Nimani

Thursday marks National Coming Out Day, an annual celebration of people who have come out as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) or other. The holiday started in 1988, the first anniversary of the second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, according to the Human Rights Campaign website.

The day was founded by Richard Eichberg, a psychologist, and Jean O'Leary, a gay rights activist.

"Most people think they don't know anyone gay or lesbian, and in fact everybody does," Eichsberg said in 1993.

Below are some inspiring quotes about being yourself, collected from Goodreads and BrainyQuote:

1. “The only queer people are those who don't love anybody.” — Rita Mae Brown

2. “Gender preference does not define you. Your spirit defines you.” — P.C. Cast

3. "Friends can help each other. A true friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself - and especially to feel. Or, not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at the moment is fine with them. That's what real love amounts to - letting a person be what he really is." — Jim Morrison

4. "The single best thing about coming out of the closet is that nobody can insult you by telling you what you've just told them." — Rachel Maddow

5. "The world is so obsessed with defining sexuality for everyone and attaching labels to it. Any time any person openly leaves the sexual norm, their sexuality becomes, more often than not, the absolute defining characteristic of that person. It becomes the first thing people think about and often the first thing they mention. Every other part of that person all but disappears." — Dan Pearce

6. “Laugh and cry and tell stories. Sad stories about bodies stolen, bodies no longer here. Enraging stories about the false images, devastating lies, untold violence. Bold, brash stories about reclaiming our bodies and changing the world.” — Eli Clare

7. "Be yourself. You're OK. And it really doesn't matter what other people think." — Taylor Schilling

8. "To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself." — Bindi Irwin

9. "You just have to be yourself and go full with confidence and be courageous." — Gabby Douglas

10. "These years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn't even know existed." — Ricky Martin

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