Why are they trending? International Coming Out Day, #ReasonswhyIleftFacebook, #Dayofthegirl

What's trending and why? 11 October 2012

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International Coming Out Day

Today is International Coming Out Day, when people are encouraged to reveal their sexuality to the world.

This can be much harder, or sometimes much easier than it might seem, depending on who you're coming out to, we learnt yesterday, when Peaches Geldof wrote for us, telling the story of two of her school friends who came out, with very different consequences.

"Maybe the point is that whether we’re gay, bi or straight, we’re all pretty terrible at confiding in our folks", writes Rosie Wilby today for Independent Voices.

Wilby waited for five years for her (now ex-) girlfriend to come out, which eventually led to their break-up. Read her story here.

#ReasonswhyIleftFacebook

#ReasonsWhyILeftFacebook is trending today, as the news emerges that Facebook avoided paying millions in corporation tax in the UK by diverting most of its sales via Ireland last year.

A new analysis of its UK business suggested the social networking giant paid just £238,000 in corporation tax in Britain last year.

@McLovinParody tweets: "Facebook is like jail, you sit around and waste time, write on walls, and get poked by people you don't know."

International Day of the Girl, #Dayofthegirl

As part of International Day of the Girl, which aims to promote education and rights for young girls everywhere, Desmond Tutu and Ela Bhatt, members of the Elders, are calling for new schemes and new energy to liberate girls from modern tyrannies such as child marriage.

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