The Glass Closet
Why Coming Out Is Good Business
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $17.99
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
Part memoir and part social criticism, The Glass Closet addresses the issue of homophobia that still pervades corporations around the world and underscores the immense challenges faced by LGBT employees.
In The Glass Closet, Lord John Browne, former CEO of BP, seeks to unsettle business leaders by exposing the culture of homophobia that remains rampant in corporations around the world, and which prevents employees from showing their authentic selves.
Drawing on his own experiences, and those of prominent members of the LGBT community around the world, as well as insights from well-known business leaders and celebrities, Lord Browne illustrates why, despite the risks involved, self-disclosure is best for employees—and for the businesses that support them. Above all, The Glass Closet offers inspiration and support for those who too often worry that coming out will hinder their chances of professional success.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
With impressive candor, former BP CEO Browne (Beyond Business) examines the steep price that LGBT employees pay if they stay closeted at work, and shows how being open benefits individuals and organizations. He begins with the story of his resignation from BP, and the impact of living life in the closet both personally and professionally. Though support for gay rights is becoming more popular, Brown shows that there's still a lack of awareness of the difficulties LGBT employees face. Not surprisingly, 41% of the LGBT employees in the U.S. remain closeted at work, and at the close of 2013, there was not one openly gay CEO in the Fortune 500. Browne shares touching stories from other brave business leaders who came out professionally, including Xerox's Mike Feldman, Beth Burke of Ernst & Young, and Antonio Simoes of HSBC. What distinguishes this important and ground-breaking book is the author's focus on the practical side of welcoming LGBT employees into an organization; he helpfully identifies seven actions that companies can take to be inclusive of LGBT rights, including setting direction from the top, creating LGBT resources groups, and encouraging straight allies.
