Friday, January 8, 2016

Being out at work

Being out to family, friends and colleagues can be empowering and those of us who are open about our sexuality in the workplace can feel more confident and assertive.

Even so, many of us feel tolerated rather than accepted and openly LGBT people continue to
experience high levels of workplace hostility and discrimination. Bosses worry about how clients will react to us. Colleagues exclude us from conversations about weekend plans. And all around us coworkers make us feel invisible or they treat us as the go-to people for their naïve questions about our communities. The end result is that we’re often identified by our sexual orientation rather than members of the team.

Even in the 21st century, many of us are marginalized, denied promotions, left off high-profile teams, and even fired because of our sexual orientation. Twenty-nine states – and the federal government itself – have no protections for LGBT workers. 

It can be even worse for LGBT people who remain in the closet. Many see how openly gay colleagues are treated and are afraid to come out at work, even if they are out to friends and family. Others fear coming out because of continuing fear of rejection from family and friends, or because they are unsure of how to deal with their own sexual identity.


Coaching can help you build your self-confidence, develop effective strategies for succeeding professionally, learn to cope with the pressures of being gay in the workplace and feel less isolated. 

Make an appointment for a no-obligation initial coaching consultation. by sending an email now to robert@naylorcoaching.com. New clients who sign a six month by Jan. 15 will receive $150 off.



Robert Naylor is a leadership development consultant and certified professional coach. He is a member of the International Coach Federation and the Gay Coaches Alliance.

©2016 Robert Naylor Coaching and Consulting, LLC. All rights reserved. 

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