Chants of "We are ... Penn State. We are ... not straight" were heard as more than 100 people dressed in rainbow threads came out to share a voice in National Coming Out Day Friday.

Allies President Christy Merchant said the National Coming Out Day rally, held on the Old Main steps, was a way for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community and its allies (LGBTA) to come together, support each other and use their voices to celebrate their LGBTA pride.

"None of you are alone in your struggles," Merchant said. "This rally is for you."

Merchant said she was inspired to come out to her family and friends after she attended the rally last year. She added that the LGBTA community is composed of teachers, athletes, the military, fraternity and sorority members.

"Yes, I am a proud member of the LGBTA community," Merchant said. "We are everywhere."

Several members from the LGBTA community spoke, including Joseph Zagame (junior-psychology), member of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity, who said it took him three years to come out and announce his sexuality.

"Courage is the best word to describe coming out," he said.

Zagame said that as a freshman he attended his first rally, but did not stay too long because he was afraid someone would recognize him.

"I knew I was gay, but I didn't want to admit it," he said.

Instead, Zagame said he joined a fraternity because he "desperately wanted to be straight." He added during that time he went through a period of self-hatred because he felt "being gay meant being different."

He said after coming out to his family and friends, he had a plan to be gay at home and straight at Penn State. When his plan was not successful, Zagame said he went through another period of self-hatred.

Last year, Zagame attended his second rally and said listening to another man's story of coming out to his fraternity inspired him to come out to his own chapter two days later.

He said the other members have accepted him, and added that although it is hard to come out, it gets easier over time.

"I decided living a lie was too much," Zagame said. "I am happier because I'm not living that lie anymore. I'm not wearing that mask anymore."

The steps were also opened up to the audience to share their experiences of coming out and being an LGBTA ally.

Elizabeth Hoorneman, Coalition of LGBTA Grad Students co-director, said she waited 25 years before coming out to her family last Christmas because she remembered hearing her mother say having a child come out is one of the most tragic things a parent can go through.

"It was a very merry Christmas," she said sarcastically.

However, she said her mother is one of her biggest supporters, and added that coming out has unified her family.

Matt Leifer, a 2004 graduate, said he came back to campus to support the LGBTA community.

"It's incredibly important to support LGBTA people and to show all people there are gay people at Penn State and they have a voice," he said.

Crystal Andrews, another 2004 graduate, said she came back to Penn State to support her fellow members as an ally in the LGBTA community.

She added that she is educating her family and making her nieces and nephews allies.

"Start young -- and you won't have homophobia later," she said.