WORKPLACE DIVERSITY : PROFILES :...

I’m not looking for special treatment (as a gay man). That’s a subject that really bothers me. I just want to play on the level playing field--and I can beat the pants off the best of them. I don’t want to be treated as a minority. I want to compete.

You hear things behind your back all the time. A lot of it is innuendo. It doesn’t come up directly.

Over the years, I’ve heard, through other people that, “Such and such is making comments about your boyfriend,” or about having to work with faggots or things like that. Over the last few years, most people (who) think it, keep it to themselves.

Sometimes they challenge your knowledge and credibility. I have found that I’ve got to do twice as good to come out equal with my peers. But I make sure I know what I’m doing. I’m very capable.

My boss and I have had several discussions about this. I think it’s been very difficult for him to deal with it. But he is trying. He’s trying to work with it. He says he supports diversity in the workplace.

A former boss, although he never made a comment, when it came to appraisal time, that’s when it really (showed.) We’re judged on results, we’re judged on our budget, we’re judged on meeting our deadlines. . . . One of my peers didn’t make any of his deadlines. He was out of budget. And he was rated much higher and got a much better raise, and I made every one of my deadlines. I was within budget. . . . I got rated just a plain old satisfactory.

The glass ceiling is very apparent, at least that’s my perception. (AT&T; chairman) Bob Allen has said that the glass ceiling will be removed, and they are going to be promoting people within the gay community. But it really doesn’t happen very often. It is a rarity. I have a lot of friends in AT&T; that are scared to death of getting found out and that their career is going to end.

It’s a good company. I’ve got almost 18 years with the company. Why throw that away? Why not change it? The only way change comes is from within.