It's time to spring clean your closet, step out, and never look back as PRIDE is celebrated throughout the country.

When we took our year long journey, Gay Into Straight America, our key question that we asked every single person we met was "Do you know a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person?" It was 100% "Yes." Invariably, the person they knew was a friend or family member. Sometimes, however, it was only an acquaintance, or a person they were aware of, but didn't know very well.

Near the end of the journey, we thought we had discovered ONE PERSON who didn't know a single gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person. Jeaneane in California, "General J" as she called herself, initially said, "No." When we started jumping up and down, excitedly telling her "Oh, my goodness, you are the first person we have met," she said, "No, now wait just a minute. Let me think." Then she said, "Yes, there is a woman at work who is lesbian." Isn't it amazing? She didn't want to be the "first!"

Different from the Pew Research percentages, our personal interaction with everyday people showed an even higher number of people at least "know" a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person. The point is that everybody knows one of us, whether or not we are family or friend to the person who knows, so remaining silent serves no useful purpose except to keep other people uninformed about the critical issues which impact our everyday lives. Their knowledge that we exist meanss the time has come to "spring clean our closet for good" and step out in the light of day to claim the power of the gift of who we are, ridding ourselves of the last vestiges of our own internal homophobia and transphobia.

The variation in the percentages is that the Pew research asked people if they had a "friend or family member," who is gay, lesbian, bisexual and/or transgender, and we asked people if they "knew anyone" who is GLBT. Anyway you look at it, we are here to stay and we aren't going away. We are beginning to live authentic lives more and more every day. That is allowing people to get to know the whole of who we are, and discover, "You can't hate someone whose story you know." Remember, that works both ways!

If hiding has been your MO (mode of operation), why not consider doing some late spring cleaning. Not only that, consider a permanent change, and leave that closet empty for good. You won't have to spend energy each spring, finding ways to rearrange the crap that is in there, trying to make it look clean and pretty. Take out the garbage that is in there now, throw it in the trash, and keep the good stuff!

You will feel a lot better and, in the long run, so will those around you. Living and interacting in authentic ways benefits you, others and society at large. Why not truly have some PRIDE?

To your freedom, Dotti

Click here to read entire article from Diversity Inc.