I came out at work today!

[foreigncorrespondent]

Mind you I just started this job today too. LOL

To this day I have only ever come out to company bosses. But today I actually came out to the only other Loss Prevention Officer this new company has.

Basically what happened was we got to talking about computers and she asked if I was on certain chat programs and I said I wasn't. So I explained to her the only two chat programs I use and basically I only use those to keep in contact with Sapphocrat.

She was so sympathetic to Sapph's and my plight to be together, it was just amazing. This woman is a much older woman too. Very close to her 70's, so it has shocked me to get such a kind reaction from someone of that generation.

By the way, it felt damn good coming out too. I feel I have no secrets now.

[Behind the Aegis]

1. Let me be the first to say...

:applause: and :yourock:

On edit: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

and

:hug:

[foreigncorrespondent]

2. Thank you so much, BTA...

...I never thought I would come out seem as how the security industry in Australia is so full of bigots and homophobes, but today was just different and I thought, "fuck it, loving another person is nothing to keep quiet over."

[Behind the Aegis]

3. No...thank YOU!

It only takes ONE person to make a difference. Today, you did it! You will get no medals (well, maybe a toaster if you convert one of them :)), but what you did was nothing short of an act of courage!

May your act inspire the others who still hide because of the fear!

[foreigncorrespondent]

4. Thank you!

Make it a toaster over and I will be converting tomorrow. ;)

It really was surprising how easy it was. I guess being out to my family and friends for years now, that made all the difference.

And yes, I do hope others who held the same fear I did read my words, because I just want to say to them that it really isn't as bad as they might think. Just because governments discriminate against us doesn't mean the people will.

[benburch]

5. Excellent!

:toast:

[foreigncorrespondent]

7. Thanks, ben!

:toast:

[shaniqua6392]

6. We are proud of you

and you should be so proud of yourself, too!! Peace.

[foreigncorrespondent]

8. Thanks, shan!

I reckon today I am pretty damn proud of myself! Nice to hear others are proud of me though. I truly appreciate that. :)

[cboy4]

9. Way to go mate! I'm very, very proud of you!

(I was proud of you before this too) ;)

[foreigncorrespondent]

10. cboy!!!

I just love ya!!! You are far too kind. :)

Thank you so much!!!

Did I mention I am proud of you as well? No? Well I am! Always read what you say and respect every word.

[cboy4]

11. And I just love you!

Thanks. :loveya:

[foreigncorrespondent]

13. Welcome.

:loveya:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

12. That's wonderful!

I'm glad you are getting support at work. But don't be surprised about the lady-my mother and father had gay friends back in the '50s--I always looked on their sexual preferences as being another interesting fact about them.

[foreigncorrespondent]

14. Oh!

I know a lot of people that age can be very accepting of others, especially in the U.S. (My mother in-law in her 80's is very cool.) Just not often you find it here in Australia. :)

Just feel I better let you know as well that being gay isn't actually a preference. :)

Thanks for responding. :)

[xchrom]

15. this deserves a little

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[foreigncorrespondent]

18. Thanks, xchom. (n/t)

[Saturday]

16. I'm not mad at you for being gay.....

I'm mad at you for your attitude about "older" people. Hey, we may be old but we get it. We have hearts too you know. :pals: Just because Cheney doesn't have a heart doesn't mean others his age don't.

:toast: Good luck to you.

[foreigncorrespondent]

19. Oh I don't have an attitude. LOL

I usually get along pretty well with the older generations. It is simply a lot of that generation here in Australia don't take too kindly to queers, so I was more surprised than anything. :)

[Sapphocrat]

17. Well done!!!

I am very proud of you. (Well, I always have been, but.)

:bounce: :toast: :bounce: :loveya: :bounce: :headbang: :bounce:

[foreigncorrespondent]

20. I know!

Thank you. :)

[dsc]

21. Congrats

It must have been hard but so worth it.

[foreigncorrespondent]

28. I was surprised by...

...how easy it actually was. Loving someone isn't anything to be ashamed of. Not that I was ashamed of it. I was just afraid of what would happen after I talked at work. The guy I used to work with were pretty rough around the edges.

[Duncan Grant]

22. You're a lesbian?!

:silly:

Couldn't be more proud of ya than I am now -- bloody oath! :loveya: :party: :applause: :pals: :hug: :7

ps: Congrats on the new job, too! :woohoo:

[foreigncorrespondent]

29. ROFLMAO

Yeah! Who knew???

Thanks, SF, appreciate it. Bloody oath, mate!!! ;)

[mitchtv]

23. good for you

I hope you have a long tenure there

[foreigncorrespondent]

30. Thanks, Mitch!

I reckon I secured my job for a while with these lot. I got an apprehension (arrest) for them yesterday, which was my second day on the job. The woman I worked with on Monday, she used to work for the previous company I worked for and it took her three weeks to make the transition from working one type of store (grocery) to this type of store (hardware) and actually get an apprehension.

[jackpan1260]

24. Congrats! eom

[foreigncorrespondent]

31. Thanks (n/t)

[ThatsMyBarack]

25. Hotcha! Whoopee!

And All That Jazz! :toast: :party: :bounce: :yourock:

[foreigncorrespondent]

32. Thanks, danagsk! (n/t)

[Siyahamba]

26. Thank you for coming out as binational, too

Everyone I've talked to about it is astonished to hear my partner can't sponsor me. Whether they actually do something about it is another thing... but getting the word out is the first step.

[foreigncorrespondent]

33. Yes it is!

And people are unaware of just how homophobic the U.S. can be. They truly think it is gay mecca because of San Francisco.

[ThomCat]

27. Congratulations.

I'm very glad that went well. :)

[foreigncorrespondent]

34. Me too Thom!

But to everyone I have come out to I have only ever had two bad experiences. One with my grandmother on my mothers side (she threw me out of her house.) And the other was with my dad who has basically disowned me. (Mum and dad have been divorced for years, and I do have my mums support/love/acceptance/understanding.

[bigwillq]

35. Good for you!

Congrats! :hi: :hug:

[foreigncorrespondent]

37. Thanks, bigwill. (n/t)

[keroro gunsou]

36. no secrets, less stress

for the record, i'm straight, but i can understand how good it feels to do something similar. telling a secret that might drive you up a wall, to drink, to the mall, etc...

my bestest friend in the whole world is gay. doesn't bother me in the slightest. in fact i was the very first person that he came out to. he told me that he figured i'd take it better than his family, well he was right...

basically, we'd meet for dinner once a month, just to catch up, and it went something like this:

friend: you know i'm getting divorced, right
me: (thinking to self, good, i couldn't stand his wife): oh.
friend: do you know why?
me: not really, other than your wife is a shrew that need to be beaten forthwith with a rubber chicken...
friend: i'm gay.
me: is that all? meh, pass the salsa please...

and we're still friends to this day...

he felt better about himself and that he knew someone that would accept him for who he was. i felt better cause i knew he trusted me to be his friend.

[foreigncorrespondent]

38. In all my years...

...of actually living my life the way I was born to, I found it the hardest to come out to my best friend (next to Sapphocrat of course, who will always be my very best friend as well as my partner.) In the end my sister got my friend on the porch and said "Lina, Tina is a lesbian." My mate turned to me and said "oh for crying out loud you couldn't tell me THAT? I have known that for a long time. Now tell me all about the woman you met while in the U.S." (I had told her on the phone that I had something I needed to tell her in person, and that I had met someone very special in the U.S. After my sister came out to her for me (LOL) she did the write thing by saying what she said.

You, like my friend are a very good friend for your gay mate to have. My kudos to you. :)

[Rowdyboy]

39. How delightfully liberating.....

Congratulations! :toast:

I never officially came out, though everyone at work knew I'd been renovating an old house with my "best friend" for 17 years and hadn't dated any women in that time. Hopefully a few people had a clue..... :shrug:

[foreigncorrespondent]

40. Rowdy...

...all of the other jobs I have held I have pretty much kept quiet about my private life. I felt it was just better that way because the last company was made up of mostly men, who were pretty homophobic.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

41. Congratulations!

This is awesome news. I'm glad that you were able to come out, and that the response was so positive. That is wonderful. No- it's beyond wonderful- it's heartening to hear.
:hug: