From “Out At Work” by Paige Parvin, originally printed in the December / January 2006 issue of PINK magazine:

• “When gay and lesbian professionals feel they have to keep their personal lives secret, anxiety about being discovered hampers effectiveness on the job.”
• “”When I was closeted, I was always worried about being found out, slipping in some way – like someone picking up the phone when [my partner] Sally called,” says Patricia Vivado of Lehman Brothers. “I’m sure it impacted my work. If part of your mind is focusing on fear, you can’t be focusing on your job.”"
• Not being able to bring your whole self to work can decrease productivity by approximately 10%, some experts estimate.

In my experience in corporate America, it’s not just gay and lesbian professionals that oftentimes feel they need hide certain aspects of themselves from their coworkers; most people feared discovery in some shape or form, be it an interior monologue of “They’ll find out I’m not qualified for this job!” or “I never graduated from college.”  The growing acceptance of all humans, including our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, makes me hopeful that as our society grows more inclusive, all of us can feel less anxiety about supposed “secrets” “slipping” out.

As Vivado put it, “If part of your mind is focusing on fear, you can’t be focusing on your job.”

What do you think?