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New Year's is a time of resolutions: Clean the basement. Go to the gym. Find a mate.
Because Americans spend so much time working, we need to include the workplace in our resolutions. And since gays/lesbians often spend time thinking about where and how we fit in at work, our plans should be particularly pointed. Here are a few GLBT-themed resolutions for the new year.
Put Up Those Pictures
Your colleagues' desks and walls are plastered with photos of family, and all you have is your dog. Well, you've got more than a dog's life. Stick that shot of you and your lover right where you can see it. If anyone asks, respond in the way you feel is best. Maybe you could start by saying "it's a friend." Soon, you'll be able to add "a special friend."
Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are
Polls consistently show that support for gay rights is strongest among people who know someone who's gay or lesbian. (Of course, everyone does, but not everyone realizes it.) Do your part by coming out at work. Start with a trusted coworker. You'll feel happier and more at ease when you can be yourself. And being happier and more at ease means your productivity will increase. Can a raise be far behind?
Ask for Equality
If your company does not include sexual orientation in its antidiscrimination policy or fails to offer benefits to same-sex partners, find a few allies and start the ball rolling. This is not only the right thing for a business to do, but it's also in the company's economic interest.
Apply for Benefits
If your company offers such domestic-partner benefits, apply for them. Plenty of people have worked pretty hard to get them for you. You wouldn't ask for a pay cut, so why voluntarily deny yourself something you're legally entitled to?
Call Your Colleague on Antigay Comments
The next time that Neanderthal in the next cubicle makes a moronic joke, nail him. You don't have to frame it in personal terms. Just shake your head and say, "You really have no idea how many folks you're offending, do you?"
Call Your Lover
If you work in an office where people make personal phone calls (and who doesn't?), don't feel you must sneak off in a corner to make yours. You have the same rights as any straight coworker to talk to your partner about dinner plans, the dry cleaner or any of the other mundane yet vital parts of daily life. And remember: A quick "love you" goes a long way.
Invite Colleagues into Your Life
If last night's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" reminded you of your supervisor, tell that trusted coworker of yours. If you're talking about a great wedding you went to last weekend, feel free to mention it was a same-sex one. And if you take the next step -- inviting colleagues into your home as well as your life -- there's no reason to "de-gay" the place before they arrive.
Bring Your Partner to a Party
Isn't it a drag going stag to social events? And isn't it worse dragging someone along you don't really care about, just because the person is the opposite gender?
Don't Forget the T in GLBT
That's transgender. The trans world is becoming more visible every day, but it's still terra incognita for most people, including some gays/lesbians. Learn more about transgender issues.
Don't Forget to Vote
Learn about the issues and candidates, ask questions, and make your voice heard.
