A National Coming Out Day Conversation with Shawnie Hawkins: Navigating Identity and Advocacy in the Workplace

Few moments are equally as important and terrifying as the time you first ‘come out.’ Whether you’re bursting through a glass closet or privately saying the words out loud for the first time, stepping into your truth holds infinite power. This includes in the workplace.

Coming out at work is a deeply personal decision, and for better or worse there can be career impacts. For me, coming out hasn’t been a singular occurrence. Rather, it’s often a continuous one that happens over and over again as you grow throughout your career. And while the words may begin to roll more easily off the tongue, anticipating a colleague’s reaction can often stir anxiety. In fact, this can lead to code-switching (changing your identity or personality depending on the people you’re around). LinkedIn data finds that 75% of LGBTQ+ professionals have code-switched in the workplace. Additionally, code-switching can be exhausting, with 54% of LGBTQ+ professionals finding that code-switching at work has taken a toll on their mental health and 38% saying it makes them feel exhausted and burnt out.

But coming out at work is immensely important. It’s the start of celebrating queer joy in the workplace, because the more authentic we are at work, the more whole we begin to feel in every aspect of our lives. To celebrate National Coming Out Day—and to honor all that goes into coming out and staying out at work—I spoke with RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins (Senior Director of Workplace Equality at the Human Rights Campaign) about the importance of coming out and celebrating queer joy, and how you, too—whether you’re queer yourself or a proud ally—can have a part in this.

Andrew McCaskill: In honor of National Coming Out Day, can you share a bit about your personal coming out story and how it’s shaped your advocacy??

Shawnie Hawkins: National Coming Out Day has a special place in my heart. Being a Black, queer woman, societal conditioning has never made me feel confident in being myself. There were always different aspects of myself that I was hiding because I was conditioned to believe that if I wanted to succeed professionally, that there are stereotypes about my identity and preconceived notions about myself that I need to work against. [A previous employer once even told me] that if I wanted to be good at my job, I needed to remove parts of my identity that they may not agree with.?

AM: What helped you fight against that stigma?

SH: Well, I had a new boss who was asking me about that experience, and when I told her, she said, ‘Absolutely not…You need to show people who you are behind being an HR professional. And you don't know who's walking around this building that's looking for a leader like you to show them how to be authentic.’ As [society] has progressed, as I have become more self aware and more confident in who I am as a person, I have made personal choices that I'm not gonna hide things about myself going forward. So after those two experiences and how differently I felt as a full person bringing myself to work, I chose to never go back.

Career Expert Callout: It can be hard to know whether or not a job will be accepting of your identity, especially during the interview process. On LinkedIn, you can now use our “Values” search filter to see which companies publicly support inclusivity—among other causes. You can then make that a point of conversation in your interview, asking them to expand upon their dedications to diversity.

AM: What do you say to the person who is contemplating coming out but doesn't wanna be an LGBTQ+ mascot?

SH: I think that’s fair. We do a lot of work in my program about being your authentic self and bringing your full self to work. And I think it's more authentic, less full. For some people, you may want to lead with your identities in how you present your work. For me, anytime I go in a room, I’m leading with those identities; I’m a Black, queer woman who does workplace inclusivity. But decide what that means for you…Coming out is your own thing, but you’re not going to do it just once; You’ll likely do it forever. So you get to gauge and decide what level of openness you want to give people, and don’t feel like every meeting or interaction, you need to be like, ‘Hey Shawnie, I’m gay.’ It can be exhausting being that sole person within your place of employment that's doing all the advocacy work, and I think you need to take time and space, especially now with the current state of emergency in our country.

AM: Queer joy is an important aspect of being one's authentic self at work but according to LinkedIn survey data, only 35% of LGBTQ+ professionals feel safe bringing their full self to work. How can LGBTQ+ professionals and their allies contribute to creating an atmosphere where everyone can experience joy, acceptance, and belonging in the workplace??

SH: We’ve lived in a very binary society, and it gave us this blind eye that everyone fits into these cookie cutter molds. Sometimes people have to get outside of their experiences and see they’re in mixed company. And when you do that, you show up better. When you’re in communal spaces at work with other people outside your lived experiences, it’s part of being a good person to create space for all walks of life to feel seen. When I think of allies, first: De-gender your language. You can be respectful and greet everyone without saying ladies and gentlemen. Be mindful of the language and the words you use.?

Career Expert Callout: To show your allyship on LinkedIn, you can publicly add pronouns to your Profile. Over 25 million LinkedIn users have already done so.?

AM: Could you shed light on the significance of state or local non-discrimination laws that include sexual orientation and gender identity/expression? How do these laws impact LGBTQ+ professionals in different regions?

SH: So we have now 24 states that have statewide protection on sexual orientation and gender identity, not just in the workplace but in public spaces. And to be clear, there is no universal federal protection in this country right now for LGBTQ plus folks to live and not be openly discriminated against. We had the Bostock ruling in 2020 that expanded Title 7 to interpret the term sex to include sexual orientation and gender identity…so that means no employer in the U.S. with more than 15 employees can discriminate against gender identity. But there are only 24 states that protect that in public settings.[For employers], you can do a lot to have policies internally that are inclusive, but you need to use your voice to make the communities that your employees live in and that your customers live in feel protected. It’s important to have advocacy inside and outside your walls.?

AM: Can you give me your final advice on someone who is thinking about coming out at work?

SH: It’s a big decision; Don’t take it lightly. But you won’t be alone. You get to decide who you want to be out to. I’m sure you have a colleague you see at the watercooler or breakroom that you feel safe with, so start with that person. As you feel more confident, know that we do need more LGBTQ+ leaders and executives in these spaces. I’m not going to say we don’t need you out there, but when you’re at the beginning of this journey, you get to decide how far you want to go. And if you’re not ready for it, it’s totally ok.?

Career Expert Callout: Want more advice on coming out at work or similar topics? In today’s digital age, accessing this crucial information has never been more accessible. Follow people like Jesse Ehrenfeld, Lilly Contino, Imara Jones, Maeve Duvally and A.C. Fowlkes ?or watch LinkedIn Learning course like Succeeding as an LGBT Professional, Inclusive Mindset for Committed Allies, Understanding and Supporting LGBTQ+ Employees, Leading Your Org on a Journey of Allyship, Out and Proud: Approaching LGBT Issues in the Workplace, Creating Community within Your Employee Resource Group.?

*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.?