Coming Out at Work

Abstract

Combining research on work and occupations with that describing the process of “coming out” for homosexuals suggests several dimensions of work that affect the decision to reveal one's sexual identity in the context of work. Drawing on quantitative data on 228 lesbian workers, the analysis explores the relationship among workplace determinants, coworker sociability, and disclosure of sexual identity. Results indicate that among the dimensions examined, risk variables (income and working with children), socioemotional climate variables (gender structure and human service work), and prior loss of job due to disclosure have significant impact on decisions to reveal sexual identity to coworkers. Disclosure is context specific: The meaning of the pervasive and systematic influence of the economic domain on sociability, the management of identity, and the place of sexuality at work are considered.