What the Indian workplace can learn from Tim Cook's gay revelation

About a month ago, the CEO of Apple Tim Cook made headlines for coming out to the world that he is a homosexual, and proud to be one at that, in an open letter, published by Bloomberg Businessweek. World over - apart from Russia - the disclosure has been widely hailed, many feel this will help embolden and empower the white-collared LGBT community, which tends to face much derision and abuse at the workplace.

While I feel it is great that someone of Cook's stature has had the courage to publicly announce his sexual orientation, he is after all the head of one of the world's most influential companies, and is being globally celebrated for it - what does it actually mean for a country like ours, which is blithely homophobic. Yes, for us, this miniscule minority in India, which gets to suffer incessant barbs, tasteless jokes, innuendos and hostility not only at our homes and streets, but also at the workplace.

I am, and have been for a while now, a rainbow flag bearing member of the LGBT community, and fully aware of my rights and responsibilities as a citizen of this nation. That I had to suffer the indignity of discrimination in the office still haunts me.

A few years ago, I was working as a mid-senior level executive with a leading HR consulting company in New Delhi. My boss (female) was new and we instantly struck a great bond. I quickly became her sounding board, confidant and friend (or so it seemed). I was never a closet case and most of my colleagues were somewhat aware of my orientation. However, upon finding out that I am gay, my boss began to slowly distance herself away from me, stopped interacting with me and eventually became outright hostile. Working in the company, with a promising career ahead of me, suddenly became a stressful and mortifying affair. My boss even went to the extent of telling the other senior staff members that she is "no longer comfortable hugging me". She told them I have a communicable disease and they might catch it too, so they also began to avoid me. Things became hard for me and eventually I had to quit. I can't remember being more humiliated.

I am only one of the many such stories. One of the many people who are very proud of their sexual-orientation but have to keep it under the wraps because of the regressive mindset of corporate India. And this is not just the case in old companies. The discrimination is across the board.

A dear friend of mine holds a senior position at a wellness company. A star at work, this flamboyant gay man pretends to be straight because he believes, and I am afraid to agree with him, that if his bosses are to learn of his affinity for the male gender, he will be forced, or rather driven to quit.

His fears are not unfounded. On more than one occasion, the leadership at his company have unequivocally expressed their disapproval for the gay community and openly ridiculed effeminate men working for them. An irony because the wellness industry has possibly the second largest concentration of homosexuals.

The stories are eerily widespread. An acquaintance, a professor of engineering in a university, and a proud and out gay man liked to discuss current affairs with his students. When one of his students brought up the Supreme Court ruling upholding Section 377, which bans homosexuality, a discussion ensued. The very next day, he was asked to report to the dean who looked at him squarely and warned him to stop "promoting homosexuality" and threatened to fire him. From being popular among students and fellow teachers alike, he soon became the object of ridicule. Things got out of hand and one day he quit.

Ours are not stories of the weak or the uneducated being take advantage of. Ours are of dampening a fighter's spirit who are forced to adhere to the heterosexual norm because of the looming fear of threat and oppression.

Our country has always taken pride in being accepting and open. Why can't the LGBT population be allowed a space in the mainstream workplace then?

It's great that Tim Cook has come out and am sure it will help make a difference in some way. However, the situation will improve only when we will start seeing people beyond their race, colour, religion and sexual orientation. Perhaps when we have all our rights as enshrined in our Constitution by a judiciary which will help us claim them rightfully. Only then can we fully feel proud to be part of a vibrant India.