The idea of coming out is a difficult thing for most of us to wrap our head around. A few years ago, I attended an event where former Olympian Mark Foster talked about just how much of a challenge being open about his sexuality had been throughout his working life and that he’d felt that hiding it had always meant holding back, not giving his career everything that he could have.
He poignantly described the challenges that face every LGBTQ+ person but that the majority (straight, cis-gendered) have never had to give a second thought to. When I started at my current employer, for example, I didn’t have to consider how I might navigate a situation if someone was to assume the partner I refer to isn’t the opposite sex, and how I would correct them. Would it be awkward? Would this person be embarrassed? Would it embarrass me? Would the person think less of me? Would this impact my career?
