I don’t always know what to expect with a new job, especially when people discover that I’m a lesbian. Not that I’m closeted but because I appear straight to most straight people. Somehow, my co-workers often react to me as if I’ve lied to them in some way. I know this because when I meet people without my girlfriend, they seem to like me. After they began to notice that the woman with me all of the time is my partner and not my bestie, the air in the room gets a little chillier.
Sometimes I wonder if it’s better just to announce to the world, well future employers, that I’m a big ol’ lesbo. I’ve heard so many non-feminine appearing people put people like me into a box. We have some sort of ‘femme privilege’, apparently. Not really, I say.
Other times I wonder if people simply wish that I would just be closeted. They want to like me. They want me to feel comfortable. If only I kept my business to myself, I could be happy in their midst. But, why should I hide away my family as if we’re guilty? Everyone else brings their children to school or has their husband pick them up. I am a vital member of this society and a damn good citizen. It’s my right to live my life the way I choose.
Well, maybe this is the price one pays to live a life out loud. It’s a small one, in my opinion. So what if people have their issues? That’s their baggage. I just needed to write all of this down to purge that negative energy from my system. I am determined to be successful at this job. I love what I do. It’s time to put that active happiness energy to work…and get up to make breakfast for my awesome family.
acancersworld 