Bronx Community College held a parade and rally Thursday for National Coming Out Day. 

The parade and rally is the first public National Coming Out Day observance at Bronx Community College. The college is the only school in the CUNY system to publicly celebrate the day.

Around 50 people participated in the parade and rally, including Councilman Ritchie Torres, the first openly gay elected official from the Bronx.

"I want to give credit to BCC for being the first to celebrate coming out and LGBT pride and Bronx pride," says Torres. "It's important we take every opportunity to give a voice and visibility to the LGBT community."

National Coming Out Day, which is Sunday, Oct. 11, is a time to honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex Americans and their straight allies.

School officials are also using this time to let people know about the school's "Safe Space" program, which helps students who do not feel accepted belong to a network of fellow students, faculty and other staff members.

Bronx Community College officials are hoping this event will get other CUNY schools to get involved.