I was a store manager for a major retail chain in the San Francisco Bay Area. I finally felt comfortable enough in a job to come out to my employees and eventually my boss. I was one of only a few gay managers with this chain, at least one who was "out". I knew many "out" assistant managers who had been with the company for a long time, but never got promoted and wondered why, but they never talked about it.
My employees were very supportive and a couple were proud that I had the courage to come out. I never bragged or anything. I just realized that it was easier to be honest and not to hide such an important part of my life. When I used the word "partner" with my boss, things changed dramatically. She had treated me with a fair amount of respect and dignity until she found out that I was gay. Her attitude changed in such a way that it was painfully obvious that she was homophobic. Something I had never expected before.
My boss was a district manager with the company. She began harrassing me, creating situations to write me up, threatening to fire me and worse. This happened in an instant after she found out who I was. The funny thing was only a month before this happened, she had given me a glowing annual review and said how proud she was to have me on her team. Needless to say I felt exremely cofortable with her.
When her behavior changed, I began asking some of my fellow managers about it. Some of them told me how she felt about gay people and that she had prevented some employees from being promoted because of it. My district manager got her way and fired me a few months later for another trumped up charge. I took my case to Human Resources and of course they, and she denied everything. California is an "at will" employment state, which means that I could be fired for anything, without reason. Although when I had real problems with an employee who was stealing from the company, my boss wouldn't let me do anything about it.
I share this story because it changed my life. Being fired from this company was the best thing that ever happened to me. I decided that I would never hide my sexuality again, at the workplace or anywhere. Sure it proved that there are evil, sick people out there. But it also paved the way for me to work for much better companies.
You might think that the Walt Disney Company would be a great employer. But in my case, being a store manager for The
Disney Store who happened to be gay marked the end of a career, but the beginning of many great new chapters in my life.