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"Out" at work: Gay employees seeing a welcome change in attitude

By Amy Joyce
The Washington Post

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Greg Rohner used to "pronoun flip" when co-workers asked him what he had done over the weekend.

The "he's" in his mind became "she's" from his mouth because he didn't want to let on that he had spent the time with his boyfriend.

He never felt he could put the cute picture of the two of them up in his cubicle, the way co-workers posted snapshots of spouses. And those holiday parties were painful when he introduced his partner as a close buddy.

So when Rohner interviewed for his job in Chicago as premium auditor at the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, his ears perked up at something the interviewer said: "spouse or partner?"

The casual mention of something that included Rohner rather than excluded him made his heart skip a beat. This was a company he could work for.

As many gay job seekers have learned to do, Rohner, 38, did his research before job-hunting to make sure he could finally feel comfortable in his work environment.

Although the number of companies providing same-sex partner benefits hasn't jumped significantly in recent years, employees say they're seeing a change in attitude and acceptance that helps them, as gay employees, work to their fullest potential, not having to hide their private lives.

"When GLBT [gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender] people know that they have a safe workplace to work in, then they can be who they are, and I think that's really important because everybody else gets to be who they are," said Luke Visconti, co-founder of DiversityInc magazine.
 
"You hear people say it's a personal thing and they don't care about that. But if you look at any executive's office, you see pictures of friends, families, spouses. If [employees] can't be themselves, they can't participate in the work experience others can participate in."

According to the Society for Human Resource Management's 2003 benefits survey, 23 percent of the 578 companies that responded offer same-sex domestic partner benefits, with those in the high-tech industry most likely to offer both same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partner benefits.

"I came here because of that," said Patti McGory, Eastman Kodak's worldwide finance director, whose partner stays home with their two children. "It was immediately apparent to me that diversity was a huge initiative." Today she is president of the company's gay employee network, which provides education for and support of GLBT employees.

One of the most popular programs is something called "Can We Talk," in which the group's employee volunteers sit inside a circle while employee participants talk about their biggest fears and preconceptions about gays. They then switch places and those issues are addressed by the GLBT employees.

DiversityInc recently released its fourth annual list of Top 50 Companies for Diversity. It includes a list for the Top 10 GLBT companies, which do such things as offer partner benefits, include a statement of GLBT rights in the company's handbook, or specifically recruit GLBT employees.

By some estimates, 10 percent of the population is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, Visconti said. By not taking diversity issues for this group into account, "you're really not including everyone you could on your team, so you won't get the best possible talent."

J.P. Morgan Chase made the list. Patricia Vivado, vice president in investment bank operations and head of the company's GLBT employee group, said she's grateful that top executives are supportive and involved in the group.

"What's kept me at the firm was a commitment and focus and appreciation of the fact I never suffered discrimination for being an 'out' lesbian at work. I've been given opportunities to be a leader at the firm that I wouldn't have otherwise."

Previously, Rohner, the Chubb auditor, was at a small firm in Fargo, N.D. He once had a client who was upset about a project the two were working on together and sent Rohner's boss an angry letter, calling Rohner a derogatory word for gay.

The problem wasn't a big one and would have easily been resolved, but all Rohner could find himself doing was to emphatically deny to his boss that he was gay. Work became a "burden," he said. "All of a sudden I went from the No. 1-performing employee to the bottom of the list. The fact that this actually happened threw me for a loop.

"Also, being in a position with my employer, who I wasn't comfortable coming out with ... trying to just do what I do became a struggle."

That was a major reason Rohner decided to move on — and why he searched out an organization where he could be comfortable.

Rohner has found that place. So much so that after a long day's work, he feels just fine to let the background on his desktop computer glow: It's a happy picture of Rohner with his boyfriend.