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Out of the Office Closet
站出來，承認自己是同性戀
If you're gay or lesbian and you're closeted at your office, you're not alone. Despite major strides in acceptance over the last 15 years, many still struggle with the decision to come out at work.
如果你是個同性戀，又在辦公室掩飾自己性取向的話，那你并不是孤單的。盡管過去15年社會對同性戀的態度有了巨大進步，但很多人仍然對是否在辦公重“出柜”猶豫不決。
A recent Harris poll conducted with Out & Equal and Witeck-Combs Communications indicated that 44% of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender(LGBT) participants feel unable to talk freely to co-workers about their partners, and up to 78% don't feel comfortable bringing their partners to corporate social functions.
美國哈里斯輿論調查所近期攜手反歧視組織Out & Equal以及衛特康公關與廣告公司進行的一次調查顯示，44%的女同性戀、男同性戀、雙性戀者與跨性別者（LGBT）都覺得無法自由和同事談論他們的伴侶，而至多達78%的人都覺得將伴侶帶去公司活動會不自在。
Thirty-one-year-old Bozman of Chicago has been out to his close friends since college, but remained closeted while rising through the ranks at Starbucks' corporate headquarters. "I didn't know if telling people I was gay would limit my ability to move up in the company, "he says. "I was intimidated and at the same time jealous of people who could just be themselves. I'd make up stories about being with women, and if a co-worker drove me home, I'd have him drop me off down the street so he wouldn't know I lived in a gay neighborhood."
芝加哥31歲的博茨曼從大學時代就對他的好朋友公開了性取向，但盡管他在星巴克(Starbucks)公司總部的職位不斷上升，他仍然沒有出柜。博茨曼說，我不知道如果我告訴別人自己是同性戀，這是否會影響到我在公司的晉升。我很為難，同時又羨慕那些可以公開自己性取向的人。我編造自己和女人的風流韻事，如果同事開車送我回家的話，我會在附近街道下車，不想讓他知道我住在一個同性戀社區。
"No One Cared"
“沒人在意。”
Eventually, after returning to his roots as a Starbucks store manager and working for a boss who was also gay, Mr. Bozman decided to stop lying. "When people asked me about my personal life or where I was on the weekend, 1just told the truth. It turned out that no one cared, and I was happier and much more comfortable."
最后，在重新做回一名星巴克門店經理，而且發現上司也是個同性戀后，博茨曼決定不再撒謊掩蓋自己的秘密。他說，當人們問到我的個人生活，或是我周末做什么的時候，我會告訴他們真相。結果根本就沒人在意，然后我就覺得更加快樂，大大放松了下來。
Many experts agree that Mr. Bozman and other LGBT individuals are correct to have reservations about making their sexual orientation public. "There's no federal law that safeguards people from being fired because are gay, and only 16 states have such protections," says Mustanski, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "While the constant stress of monitoring themselves can take its toll, LGBT people have to balance the freedom to be themselves with their employability."
很多專家認為，博茨曼和其他LGBT人群在公開他們性取向一事上有所保留是正確的。芝加哥伊利諾伊大學精神病學助理教授穆斯坦斯基表示，美國沒有聯邦法律保護同性戀不會因為出柜而被解雇，只有16個州有這樣的保護規定。他說，盡管持續壓抑自己不是好事，但LBGT人群必須在公開性取向和工作之間作出平衡。
Is Your Office Gay Friendly?
你的辦公室對同性戀寬容嗎？
In deciding whether to come out at work, what are the most important considerations?
在決定是否在辦公室么可刊主取向的時候，什么考慮因素是最重要的？
First, make sure it's a safe thing for you to do. "Assess anti-gay sentiment at your workplace beforehand," says Dr. Mustanski. "You don't want to be the victim of violence." The Human Rights Campaign Web site is an excellent resource evaluate whether your organization is LGBT-friendly.
首先，確保你這么做是安全的。穆斯坦斯基說，你需要事先評估下你的工作場所對同性戀的抵觸態度。你不想成為暴力的受害者。人權運動組織網站是你評估你的組織是否對LGBT人群寬容的最好資源。
Your next step is to choose who you want to tell and the most suitable way to bring up the subject with those people. "Social practices vary by office, so use heterosexual relationship as a benchmark," suggests Dr. Mustanski. "How do non-LGBT people discuss their personal matters? Can you just work it into the conversation? You do want to practice how to respond to inappropriate question, and be prepared that some co-workers may be hurt that you didn't confide in them sooner."
接下來你要做的是，選擇把自己的性取向告訴哪些人以及和他們說這個話題的最合適方式。穆斯坦斯基說，各個辦公室的社交方式各有不同，因此你可以把異性關系作為基準。那些非LBGT的人是怎么討論他們的個人事情的？你是否可以把出柜穿插進談話？你確實需要練習一下如何應對不適合的問題，做好心理準備一些同事可能會因為你以前不說實話而覺得傷心。
Finally, make sure you 're ready. "Don't allow yourself to feel pressured, because once you do it, there's no going back. It has to be the right time for you, and it has to be something that's going to make your day easier," says Mr. Bozman.
最后，確信你已經準備好了。博茨曼說，別讓自己感到壓抑，因為你一旦出柜，就沒有回頭路了。這必須是你選擇的正確時刻，必須是能讓你生活輕松的事情。
