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In a report headed for President Obama’s desk, the Pentagon concluded there is minimal risk to lifting “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. Indeed earlier this week Defense Secretary Robert Gates said repealing the ban is inevitable. Yay!
So the leadership of one of the largest and most powerful organizations in the world–which historically has forced its members into the closet–will be saying it’s OK to bring your sexual identity, of any stripe, to work.
What does this mean for the American workplace as a whole?
On an unconscious–yet very real–level, it will give the rest of us permission to bring our own sexual identity, of any stripe, to our place of work. It may take a while to experience, yet the freedom to exist as sexual beings at work may spark a wave of increased productivity across the nation.
Sounds crazy? Pop singer Ricky Martin felt “a floodgate of energy and creativity just really exploded” after he came out as a gay man, according to his producer Desmond Child. Proclaiming his sexuality to the public, essentially his work environment, has directly impacted his output. His memoir Me is currently among the Top 100 Amazon “Bestsellers in Books.”
One problem in considering the broader implications of bringing sexy back to the workplace is our inclination to quash feelings of sex on the job. Rather than prompting cases of harassment or extra-marital affairs, our sexual energy can be harnessed in service of our task, as long as we’re grounded in our humanity. This may take the form of bringing us closer to our colleagues or clients, for example, and making our day-to-day moments more fun. Imagine this!
Sexuality in the workplace is a complex issue, and one we will continue to explore.
In what ways have you accessed your sexual energy in service of a work task?
Photo of Martin via
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