The Queer Advantage: Conversations with LGBTQ+ Leaders on the Power of Identity by Andrew Gelwicks is a book that was published in 2020.
Quoting esteemed individuals in different fields the author makes the case that acting true to yourself and being authentic is the only way to succeed on the job and in your life.
No one should feel guilty and ashamed for being who they are. In reality other people should not hate and judge you because of your identity.
From the book:
“Everyone should be able to bring all of themselves to the workplace and feel like they don’t have to hide or cover. You can only be your best when you embrace your authentic self… [It] is my lifelong commitment to achieving equality for all that has always been the driving force in everything I do.”
– Billie Jean King, Professional Tennis Player
The question is: how do your bring all of you into your job when you have a mental health issue?
The choice is yours what to reveal and what to conceal. It’s still dice-y to disclose on a random workday as a matter of course.
The way I see it: the illness does not define me. I choose not to talk about it randomly or indiscriminately with the people I interact with on an ordinary day.
I would like that everyone walking down the street and in the corridors of a corporate office embraces and accepts individuals with mental illnesses.
Only I know we still have a way to go in terms of civil rights for those of us with a diagnosis.
Perhaps the way to chip away at other people’s fear of us is indeed to be open and honest about this facet of who we are.
We can take a tip from the leaders in The Queer Advantage.
It’s your right and preference to decide how open and honest you want to be.
In a future blog entry I will go into detail about the ins and outs of self-disclosure.
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