Last night was graduation for our students - of course all teachers had to show, and so we decided to go drink after. I did it the previous year with these teachers - it was good - about half the staff that went in the previous year I didn't get along with, and that was the case this time around, too. The ones I didn't like sat at the other end of the table so I didn't have to chat with them. It was good, though, to hang out and spend time with the coworkers.
And looking back now at my archives, seems I came out last year, too.
So anyways, at one point we are sitting at the tables, lots of side conversations are going on, then Big Science Teacher says, "see what those 2 guys are over there drinking?" I reply with a "yeah." He asked me if I would be at their table, if they were my type, and I said, "no." He then asked, "but you'd be at the table with them because you're one of them," and I said yes, yes, I would. He smiled and continued on talking about whatever he was talking about before.
I am not out to a lot on the staff, though I am sure they know. I am out to the program specialist, a math teacher, my roommate, and now Big Science Teacher. This staff is just not the most accepting, and I have fought enough battles that I don't want to make things worse. I mean I am not going to lie if asked, but I am also not going to go around and parade it. And now that Shawn knows, being the loudmouth that he is, I am sure most everyone will know.
1 comment:
I found that simply being out without making a production of coming out worked very well in my last two work places. That is what we did in our neighborhood, too, and what we have done since moving to where we now live. I did my coming out years ago, and that was an important part of claiming that part of my identity. But I realize it can seem confrontational and people can feel like it places demands on them that they are still unsure about. By simply being out -- talking about my partner (now husband) and our life together the way other co-workers talked about their lives -- invited them to accept us without demanding that they make a formal statement of some sort. It won't work for everyone or everywhere. But it made life simpler for me.
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