Are you OUT at work?

[Arwen]

Way way waaaaaaaaaaaay out. I make it a point to NOT hide because I certainly could.

The evil toddler Arwen gets a HUGE kick out of the reactions when the very slow finally catch up.

I had a co-worker (new on our team and at my last job) ask me, "But if you like mannish women, why don't you date women?"

You could see the guys on my team just cringe. They knew me. I'm blunt at times.

I smiled at him as I patted him gently on the leg. "Honey, my dates can buy the size I like."

I left it at that. The look when he got my meaning was PRICELESS. The others on my team harassed him unmercifully. He took it well though. Good kid. I don't think he expected this feminine, older woman (who he said reminded him of his MOM) to be queer.

Where I work now includes transgender in their anti-discrimination policy. At least two managers are openly gay and there are about five of us in the call center. Sadly, I've just learned that my company donated to the Tea Party. I'm going to write a letter and ask why they would support hate.

[Isadora]

Old story: My mother asks me why I date women that look like men? Me: Because they last longer. Mom, with puzzled look that moved to understanding: Very Good Reason.

heh.

Originally Posted by Arwen

Way way waaaaaaaaaaaay out. I make it a point to NOT hide because I certainly could.

The evil toddler Arwen gets a HUGE kick out of the reactions when the very slow finally catch up.

I had a co-worker (new on our team and at my last job) ask me, "But if you like mannish women, why don't you date women?"

You could see the guys on my team just cringe. They knew me. I'm blunt at times.

I smiled at him as I patted him gently on the leg. "Honey, my dates can buy the size I like."

I left it at that. The look when he got my meaning was PRICELESS. The others on my team harassed him unmercifully. He took it well though. Good kid. I don't think he expected this feminine, older woman (who he said reminded him of his MOM) to be queer.

Where I work now includes transgender in their anti-discrimination policy. At least two managers are openly gay and there are about five of us in the call center. Sadly, I've just learned that my company donated to the Tea Party. I'm going to write a letter and ask why they would support hate.

[TIMBERWOLF]

Yes Im out to my staff and company. Thats one of the reason i got hired. My Office Manager is gay and he wanted a gay person to work for him. Most of our company is gay. As far as patients , no and if they ask we explain to them that they aren't there to wonder about sexual orientation but to receive treatment. Im sure that the gentlemen would have a problem with him when he is handling their testicles or the females with me as im in their inguinal lymphnodes or moving their breast out of the way to get to their axillary lymphnodes.
WT is out at her work and she gets same partner benefits as I was on her insurance until i got my own.
TIMBER

[WhiteTigress]

As Timber said, I'm out at work.

I am a medical secretary, and I work for 3-4 physicians, and with a nursing staff of 11. They all know. It's not an issue. They've all met Timber, and like hir.

I don't normally out myself to patients, with the exception of when I'm working with lesbian couples. We do infertility work, and often a woman comes in with her "friend". When we are doing their paperwork for treatment, and I'm helping them with notarized documents, I let them know that I'm family in a subtle way, when it's really clear to me that they are a couple. I tell them that I hate that they have to sign documents that say they are a single woman, because our state won't acknowledge same sex couples as having rights to have children together. When they relax, I let them know that I'm family, too. It so often opens them up, and lets them feel more comfortable and reassured that they won't be judged in a negative way. I always wish them luck before I go. Sometimes they see me again, while in the office once they are pregnant. It's always special to me, when they take a moment to thank me. It's nothing that I do, but make them feel as at home as any other patient or couple. They have a right to a family, too.

WT

P.S. A couple of months ago, I was talking with a few of my nurses, and said something about being engaged. One of them said, "You can't be engaged. You can't get married." I told her, "Marriage is a ceremony to join two spirits, therefore, not only can I be engaged, I can get married. The government just won't recognize it." Others around looked at her and laughed at her for not thinking that far ahead. They had to agree with me.

[Venus007]

It hurts my heart to say I am not out at work. I am an educator and I live in a very conservative state and my boss, my boss's boss, and my boss's boss's boss are all religious zealots (and not the groovy kind).

I do not discuss my personal life with my coworkers because I don't want to lie to them. I have told a couple of people who I am friends with and they understand the need for discretion. I hate that I have to be closeted, I mean really hate it. I am just biding my time until I complete my master's degree and can find a job somewhere that it will be if not celebrated than at least ignored.
Cold comfort that.

[Laerkin]

A dear friend of mine is a gay male and he's a teacher at an elementary school. He is out with his coworkers and staff and they are very supportive because he's a great teacher and the kids love him. I think he's out with a few of the parents, but not all. It still impresses me since this is in Virginia.

I know you'll find a place that welcomes you completely! Don't lose hope!

Originally Posted by Venus007

It hurts my heart to say I am not out at work. I am an educator and I live in a very conservative state and my boss, my boss's boss, and my boss's boss's boss are all religious zealots (and not the groovy kind).

I do not discuss my personal life with my coworkers because I don't want to lie to them. I have told a couple of people who I am friends with and they understand the need for discretion. I hate that I have to be closeted, I mean really hate it. I am just biding my time until I complete my master's degree and can find a job somewhere that it will be if not celebrated than at least ignored.
Cold comfort that.

[lipstixgal]

Sadly I'm not out at work its an internship so I don't want to influence them in any way. But it is great that everyone else can be. Maybe when I get a full time position some place then I will come out!!

[LipstickLola]

I was "outed" at work, once the bruhaha died down, it was all good.
I'm pretty private, but ultimately all of my worlds collided.

[Quintease]

Not really, but then I am married to a man. Generally I like to scope out the situation before I come out, but sometimes it still doesn't help. I've come out in the past and experienced harassment (always from other women). I've also chosen not to come out in other jobs and regretted it.

My husbands not out to anyone but his boss. Foolishly he added one of his workmates to his facebook, only to have to 'out' me as bisexual after we made a mistake with his privacy settings. He has since deleted that person.

[oboejive]

I work for Fedex and have been for almost 2 years. While it has its annoying moments, the people I work with are awesome and trustworthy. All of them known I'm gay, and I even came out to my HR person (well....that's kind of a story in of itself). When I moved in with my partner, I was surprised to see that Fedex offers benefits to Domestic Partners. I think that it's awesome that they are open to diversity.

[nekohl]

I was out at work before I even started working there. I took my father's place when he retired and so everyone knew from him.
I'm treated as one of the guys/little sister by the guys. This means I am subjected to more burps and farts than I exactly care fore.

Other than that, my guys are cool. They don't get all pervy and ask about bedroom details. And the president of the company has made it clear that I am always welcome to bring a 'significant other' to company functions.

I have noticed that a couple of the girls in the back office get a little flirty with me even though they are married to men. I guess they think that since I'm a lesbian I would be into them? Lol I don't think they get that I'm not into girls who share their nail polish and make up tips with me.

[BlindProfit]

there is still discrimination in my work place, so no one knows. I don't talk about my private life at all at work, so I don't know if anyone would know even if there was no discrimination. It doesn't really bother me, it doesn't change who I am, so I haven't really given it much thought. But I am single, so perhaps if I had a partner, I would want the benefits to cover them as well, and maybe then it would be an issue for me.

[Reader]

A funny thing happened earlier in the week. My boss emailed me to ask if I knew someone she was with at a business conference out of state for the company. It turned out that the woman she asked me about and I had, in fact, worked on another project together.

When I asked my boss why she was asking I was shocked that she said she was thinking that maybe I would be interested in dating this other woman.

I thought it was sweet, but also a bit odd to have my boss trying to be a match-maker for me!

[Random]

It's important to me that I work for a company where I'm going to be a good match with the company culture. (I have a very hard time staying at a job where I'm not happy)

So, I casually out myself during interviews. Generally when I'm asked about hobbies or how I balance work and home.. something like that... I meantion that my partner and I are foodies...

After experiencing the deep freeze of being I was a perfect match, skill set wise, but DID NOT in any way fit in to the company culture.. (Long time, close knit, go to church with each other employees) I would rather avoid it...

My last job, I was out to my company, but not all my clients... My long term clients, yes...we formed bonds/had a relationship.... but my occassional clients or one off's, no...They didn't need to know that much about me....

My new job... (Moma needed bennies) We have partner bennies and diversity is more than embraced... It's the company culture. (Love that the top level of executives are Women and POC)

I don't want to jinx my new job by getting too excited about it, but I'm sincerly hoping this is the company that I will retire from...heheh.... we have chapters and divisions ALL over the world and the mission is SUCH a good one...... (It's important to me that the work I do make a difference)

[Dean Thoreau]

glad u got bennies momma random and can be out.....at work

I am sort of out at work...well one look at me and u know..but working in a school system, a nice conservative republican one is not conducive to carrying the rainbow flag down the hallway.....
....so my coworkers, principal and the administrators etc all know.I do not hide it,,,,if asked what i did over the weekend I will say Wife and i went to.....or whatever.
.. i do not tell the parents of the kids, or the kids.....that is not what i was hired to teach the kids....sexuality comes under health...
and i am not the health teacher...would not want the union to get cranky....

everyone is pretty cool,,,even when i do run into a student and their parent at home depot when i am wearing my work boots, and cut off tshirt and shorts that is revealing all my tattos and the rainbow ball cap on my head,,,and the rainbow stickers on the truck..they dont seem to mind. (Of course the only difference between that outfit and what i wear at work is the shorts have hems and the shirts have sleeves.....and my sneakers match my clothes Once the students and parents get to know Dr Thoreau,,,and the parents see how much their kids love being in the docs class....there is no problem...those that have given me the stare at Back to School night in the beginning of the year usually by halloween parade are hanging out with me laughing at my crazy jokes.....since usually their kid is giving me a high five a hug or a ...secret password to enter my classroom signal...

.............. yes i have a mohawk now old fat grey haired butch with mohawk


and yes I love this wonderful career and will really miss it..when i retire.....next june (they are really cutting our school budget to shreds)
t

[tapu]

I've been out in the workplace since I had a workplace. I can't be with people every day and not have them know me. And if you don't know I'm gay, then you don't know me.

[Medusa]

I'm out at work. Way out.

I have been out at every job I've had since I was 17.

I work in a large company. We have 1500-2000 people on our particular campus and I am one of maybe 15 out GLBT folks. Many of the GLBT folks who are not out (but known to me from years in clubs or with volunteer orgs) are people who are very "old school" about their privacy or who are in upper management VP positions (perhaps fearful of their promotion opportunities even though our company has a good diversity policy)

I have brought Jackhammer to work with me and she has met my boss and several of my coworkers. I have photos of her on my desk and openly talk about our activities together. I probably would not work for a company where I had to hide myself or relationship.

[tapu]

Also, since I seem to fall into dating co-workers....

[Medusa]

Originally Posted by Medusa

I'm out at work. Way out.

I have been out at every job I've had since I was 17.

I work in a large company. We have 1500-2000 people on our particular campus and I am one of maybe 15 out LGBT folks. Many of the LGBT folks who are not out (but known to me from years in clubs or with volunteer orgs) are people who are very "old school" about their privacy or who are in upper management VP positions (perhaps fearful of their promotion opportunities even though our company has a good diversity policy)

I posted this back in 2011 and am still with the same company.

My experience here remains pretty much the same with the exception that several of the other folks who were out have left the company, either in retirement or through layoffs.

I am the only senior manager that I know of on this entire campus who is out. I've been lucky enough not to experience much in the way of homophobia or judgment but do hear ignorant comments regularly. This happens in the real world every day so I just view it as a product of living in the world with ignorant people in general.

I've had a good experience over all with this company and still have photos all over my office of me being very gay. I even have a Medusa head (replete with moving snakes!) draped in a huge gay pride necklace and have a sign on the outside of my door that says "FABULOUSNESS is spoken here" (done in rainbow lettering).

I know this is a privilege and I respect that.

[deb_U_taunt]

I am out in all areas of my life. It takes too much work to censor myself.