Homosexuality in the Workplace

Logo for the Canadian Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

As the LGBT community as finally been accepted in the workplace in Canada over the past decade or so, the reality is that a lot of the people in the LBGT community are not out.  According to an article in the CBC News Website, the majority of the LGBT community still do not feel they are able to come out in the work place.

"Essentially, Bay Street has become more open to gays and lesbians in the past decade, says Bruce McDonald, co-founder of the Toronto-based Canadian Gay And Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
"Things in Canada are going very well," he said.
But, the atmosphere in the corridors of financial power is still not open enough to make those in the lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual (LGTB) communities comfortable about disclosing their sexual orientation, KPMG's Bach said.  "The reality is that people are not out at the workplace," he said." (CBC News, 2009)

This article was written in 2009, and hopefully 4 years later, the community feel more free to be themselves.  I spoke with a few friends in the corporate world about this, and one friend said that even though he doesn't feel any hostility, he does feel there is a difference in treatment from some male co-workers, though over the years it has improved.  Another friend said, that she is open and out, and has had not issues in her office.  And while another one of my friends said he is out and accepted, he says he himself doesn't like to "put it out there", saying its irrelevant in his workplace and he just does his job and just acts like a "human interacting with other humans".  (My friends did not wish to disclose their names or their places of work in my blog)

I found this to be an interesting topic as it relates to my blog.  We always talk about how men and women interact with each other.  This gives it an extra spin on how to view things.  Thoughts?

References

CBC News, (2009).   "Opening the Door on Corporate Canada's Closet".  Retrieved from:  http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2009/06/24/f-gay-wprokplace-canada.html