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.
Book Description
"I wish I had been brave enough to come out earlier during my tenure as the chief executive of BP. I regret it to this day. I know that if I had done so, I would have made more of an impact for other gay men and women. It is my hope that the stories in this book will give some of them the courage to make an impact of their own."
—John Browne
Today gay men and women in the Western world enjoy greater acceptance and more legal protections than ever before. Yet an alarming number of businesspeople choose to remain closeted at work. In The Glass Closet, John Browne, the former chief executive of BP, argues that whether you're lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or straight, it's better for you and your business when you bring your authentic self to work.
Browne draws on the latest research, his own experience as a closeted gay man in the oil industry, and interviews with gay and lesbian leaders to expose the lingering culture of homophobia in corporations around the world, and to inspire the LGBT community to shthey are with their employers and coworkers. Courageous and thought-provoking, this call to arms demonstrates that the hidden cost of hidden lives is far greater than we have previously thought.
