Your Jewish Co-Workers and Employees are Not OK.

DEI Won’t Help. Will You?

Gabe Zichermann

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Gay rights buttons saying things like “closets are a health hazard” or “closets are for clothes”
Closets are Bad for Our Health. Image cc National Museum of American History

As any gay person will tell you, coming out is more of a journey than a destination. Sure, there’s a big flurry of activity during the main debutante phase. In my case, this meant frosted tips, pride rings, a soundtrack by Bronski Beat and dozens of poignant conversations. If you’ve ever wanted to cause intergenerational trauma, tell a dear friend you’re gay and hear her say:

“Oh my parents are going to be devastated. They really thought we’d get married.”

They’re still holding out hope, as I understand it.

Though we think of coming out as primarily an LGBTQ thing, it’s actually pretty common for anyone with a minority identity; especially those who are white and something else. Obviously, it’s easier to imagine when you don’t “look Jewish” (be sure to say it in your best Rashida Tlaib for full effect), but even people of color and others have to come out on the regular. You might be obviously Black or disabled, but the nuances of that (Congolese vs Cape Verdean, Paraplegic vs Parkinsons) are not obvious until you make them known. Heck, even your views on key social issues — especially when they diverge from the expected norm — might necessitate coming out at work or in social situations.

“Yes, Nikki…we know…you’re…

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Gabe Zichermann

Author and Public Speaker on Gamification, The 4th Industrial Revolution, the Future of Work and Failure. More about me: https://gabezichermann.com