Sticks & stones may break my bones, but the ‘Glass Closet’ will never be a part of me.

Alan Turing once said: ‘We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that still needs to be done’. This quote is as relevant today as it was then. There’s no denying that UK society has moved forward since the days of Turing, but the minute that we get complacent is when we fail. 

There are many discussion points that can be raised here, but I will focus on one relating to the workplace. The importance of a supportive social environment, and the huge role it plays in a person’s coming out decision. 

Company policies and procedures are just one part of the diversity and inclusion mix. You need to execute it, and you’ve got to live it. A company can pledge support to causes and movements, but it’s very much a case of actions speaking louder than words. With this, I do not mean token gestures, such as: updating a Twitter icon to the rainbow colours, or posting an artsy picture of a rainbow cake to Instagram during Pride Month. Instead, engage with the community, understand what is important to them, encourage discussions and make the workplace a comfortable place to be, as people should be focused on their work, not their surroundings. 

Photo by Tim Bieler on Unsplash

For many LGBTQ+ workers, living authentically at work remains an aspiration, as ‘coming out’ is a constant cost-benefit analysis and requires weighing up the risks. A lack of support from co-workers and managers, and past experiences of discrimination, often prevent LGBTQ+ workers from being open. 

There are still large sways of the LGBTQ+ community who are either deterred from certain professions given how colleagues may react to their sexuality, and those who are in the workplace but are evading questions about family life like dodging bullets on the battlefield, as they believe that revealing their sexuality will make work more difficult. Therefore, is it time to begin a conversation about the ‘Glass Closet’? 

Photo by Nadine Shaabana on Unsplash

I’ve personally always been rather open about who I am with colleagues, but did this mean it was easy - no. There have been times where there has been a bubbling pit in the bottom of my stomach when I’m about to disclose who I am, similar to that sense of dread when you’re heading into the office for the first time since the Christmas party when you decided that tequila shots and dancing on the bar was a great idea. But, I am pleased to say that telling people who I am has never been an issue at Muse. We are an eclectic bunch, who each bring something different to the table. One of Muse’s core values is transparency, and coming out is going to the frontier of how authentic and transparent I want to be about who I am. I never really felt the need to stand at the parapet and address the people, it was just referenced in conversation about what me and my boyfriend was doing at the weekend and that was it. No big song and dance, just people accepting that he’s part of my life; and over the course of the six months since I began my role, they’ve learnt more about my partner and I, and I’ve learnt equally as much about my colleagues and their significant others.  

This highlights the importance of a supportive social environment. The fact that I felt comfortable sharing an intimate part of my life, which sadly not everyone does, is a testament to our CEO and Founder - Ann Juliano. She’s been able to build a team that celebrates diversity, guns for the underdog and ultimately has made Muse the success that it has become over such a short period of time. A mantra that will stand the test of time: ‘teamwork makes the dream work’, and I can honestly say that Muse is a living example of that. 

Taking into consideration the above and as a lasting thought, people often hire those who are similar to them, so if you take a look around the office and the people around you are ‘vanilla doppelgangers’ - take it from me, it could be well worth diversifying and investigate how the business can become more ‘neapolitan’.