First of all allow me to apologize for leaving this blog unattended for so long. I recently relocated to a new state and a new life, so please forgive me for being occupied for this past week. Recently I read an article about communities in common and I would like to share my perspective on this topic.
The article was about Amanda Keating who works at Out & Equal and covered her perspective on what it is to be Straight in a Gay workplace. This is the opposite of the usual workplace so her perspective was reversed and in the process she gained some very valuable insights into sexual orientation. On a larger scale she realized that all of our communities are connected in ways she had not comprehended previously.
“Realizing that I was a minority, I suddenly recognized how my daily actions had enforced gender stereotypes, and therefore I deliberately altered my mannerisms. For the first time, I made the conscious decision not to put a photo of my boyfriend on my desk. I reasoned that, “I don’t need to brag about how much easier my life has been as a straight person,” when in reality I was afraid of being silently judged for not being a member of the dominant community in my workplace. I often referred to my boyfriend as “my roommate” when telling stories about my personal life and didn’t correct co-workers who joked about setting me up with people. In essence, I spent only a few months doing what LGBT employees around the world are forced to do for their entire lives: I denied my whole self at work.” (Amanda Keating, 2010)
If you want to get to know someone, walk a mile in their shoes, or put another way “see through the eyes of your opponent to know the Truth”. This wisdom is not new and in fact has been in use for many millennia. So why not apply this wisdom to the work place and allow your perspective to broaden. This is what is accomplished here. Our minds are expanded and so are our hearts for to have compassion for another person’s journey you must first understand what they are going through. It is not possible for you to fully experience their journey but you can understand their perspective. The compassion you show is a gift not only to them but yourself since we are all connected in Oneness.
“Creating a safe place for your LGBT co-workers to be out does not equate to creating a forum to discuss the taboo subject of sex. It equates to creating a safe place for your co-workers to develop closer relationships with you by including every aspect of their selves. It creates a safe place for everyone to present diverse experiences and points of view. Most importantly, being honest about one’s whole self allows one to shine and excel without fear of judgment….If anything needs to be communicated to the straight community, it is this: take a step back one day and realize how easy it is to be straight, and then start making it just as easy to be gay.” (Amanda Keating, 2010)
🙂 Sequoia Elisabeth
Oneness Ministry 
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