My Second Coming Out

I haven’t blogged about PR or digital media in quite some time. Why? It could be due to a myriad of reasons from laziness to being busy to well, life, but after sitting down today and thinking about those whys, it dawned on me that I stopped blogging around the same time that I came out as gay. And, honestly, this made me sad.

I have always been an advocate for advancing minorities in the Communications industry, but when I was labeled with an LGBTQ sticker, I questioned what this meant for me professionally. Honestly, I don’t know many professionals who are openly gay therefore I assumed it wasn’t ‘ideal’ in this industry.

The reality of the situation is that I cannot decipher people’s personal opinions about gays. Therefore, I leave it out of general public discourse in social media and/or office talk. If they don’t know, they can’t crucifix me nor can they speak about me behind my back. I’m always wanted to be known for my drive, talent and passion, but in my mind, being gay put a wrench in that.

The sad thing is—I’ve always had mentors, people to steer me in the right direction whenever I was confused about what I wanted to do and what I wanted to learn. When I realized that I was gay – I abandoned the idea that those individuals would still be proud of me.

I know some people will tell me that I shouldn’t really bring this little tidbit about me in the professional arena – I mean, it doesn’t affect what I do, right? The silly thing is…if I did this, I would be a hypocrite because I have always been an advocate for minorities in this industry. I want to help cultivate a welcoming environment for future leaders (regardless of race, religion and sexual orientation) in the industry. The fact is this—if you look at the C-suite of most corporations, it’s riddled with white heterosexual males. Kudos for their success, but I want to do something about that. And, when I do…I want whomever to look at me and know that I’m proud of who I am and that I succeeded...they can too.

So, hello PR world, this is my second coming out—I’m gay and I’m a Communications professional. What do you think about this topic? I am curious to hear your thoughts, so please comment below or e-mail me at Debbie.Ebalobo@gmail.com.

*I am tentatively creating a group for students and professionals in PR/Advertising/Marketing/Digital who identify as LGBTQ. If you or someone you know is interested in helping, please don’t hesitate to contact me at Debbie.Ebalobo@gmail.com.