These are just some of the fears I've had when coming out at work. It is never something I do lightly, and it can take time for me to build trust with those around me; to try and understand and appreciate how they may react. Coming out is intimidating, regardless of the industry, but I found it harder in engineering than in other industries in which I have worked due to my own misconceptions and fears. I'm pleased that Rolls-Royce has been a very inclusive and welcoming place for me to work, and this inclusive culture has enabled me to feel comfortable enough to share my experiences, but that doesn't make coming out easier when you're still relatively new to the business and nervous about how people may react.
Despite what people think, coming out isn't a one-off activity, something you do once and never have to think of again. It is something LGBTQ+ people do almost every day depending on the situations they are presented with, who they are meeting and how comfortable they feel. It can be all too easy at times to skirt around the topic and it is something I have done myself. Do I come out? How do I come out? What's the professional way to come out? How will people react? Will they treat me the same? These are just some of the questions I have in the back of my mind every time a situation arises where I'm meeting new people. Sadly, we still live in a world where homophobia exists, albeit at times where it can be very hidden in the workplace.