Why Coming Out of the Closet Is Better for Business

Written by Andrew James Brookman, Writer / Author

Andrew Brookman is an Author of many books, many of them in the LGBTQ genre. Andrew has just released his memoir, Colours of a Rare Bird, about his life as a closeted Homosexual, published by Merlinus Publishers.

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I spent 33 years in the closet, terrified to be honest about my sexuality. It was the biggest secret I have ever had to keep in my life, and being dishonest with myself caused me so much inner pain and turmoil. My reasons for staying in the closet for so long were because of my masculine environments and my elderly grandparents. I used to dream of being an openly gay man and being free from repression, but it was never something I could set myself free from, the fear in me was just too overwhelming.

Being closeted meant I could not discuss my own life with anybody because my own life was such a huge secret. I could not talk about romance because there was no romance, and I could not talk about my friends because there were no friends. I could not talk about life because I had no quality of life.

All I could do was sit in the chair at work and at home, hearing about other people’s social lives, what fun they got up to on their weekends, and who they were now dating, while I sat there, blushing red in the face with jealousy, trying my very best not to show anybody that I was green with envy.

People I worked with were getting promotions, developing themselves in the world of work, trying new things, asking new questions, and climbing the ladder of success. Meanwhile, I just sat there doing the same cleaning job year after year, cleaning toilets, hoovering carpets, and cleaning up after other people. Bullying and intimidation were an everyday routine for me. In the end, I got used to being looked down on, and I had very little respect for myself. Even my younger brother, who is ten years younger than me, told me that bullying must be stopped straight away, otherwise, it escalates. And yes, I let it escalate. I was just a very timid, frightened, closeted homosexual, full of envy and bitterness towards the world. And yes, I will admit, I hated myself.

Now I am out of the closet. I am openly gay, and I have the power to take control of my life. I now oversee my own destiny. At forty-seven years of age, I can be much lighter and take off all my heavy coats of armor. I can say, “This is me. This is Andrew Brookman, who will not be bullied anymore, who will not be intimidated anymore, and yes, who wants much more out of life than cleaning dirty toilets.” I want to be successful as an author, and I want to be an advocate for people who face challenges and struggle through life, just like I did. I can now be more confident and happier, wear a smile more often, and I can finally say, “I like myself.” If anybody out there does not like me, then I am very sorry, but that is your problem to deal with because I am beautiful inside and out. At last, I can say, “I am me.”

My memoir, Colours of a Rare Bird, published by Merlinus Publishers, is available here.

Visit my website for more info!

Read more from Andrew James Brookman

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Andrew James Brookman, Writer / Author

Andrew Brookman is a talented writer who writes many genres, from Horror to murder Mystery to writing for children. Andrew Brookman just loves writing stories. His favourite genre is LGBTQ writing, both fiction and non-fiction stories for the LGBTQ community. Andrew is now focused on helping people who may have challenges with their sexuality, like he once did.