Leaving aside the reality of being able to remain truly closeted, two important contributors to career success are networking and mentoring.

Organisational group dynamics rely on personal interaction and an individual that distances themself from the group will also miss the opportunity for fully participating in teamwork and finding a mentor 36.

It is a group level that much is determined and failing to participate results in being passed over for assignments and promotion 37.

Openly gay employees are more likely than their closeted colleagues to be able to find such informal support because of the dynamics previously mentioned that cause a loner to be excluded from the group.

Being open means that homophobic comments said behind your back that can rapidly poison an employee's relationship with the company are countered by colleagues who come to your defence.

It is also more likely that a company will alter inequitable policies if they can identify an employee that is effected by them.

From personal experience it takes a lot of effort and care to manipulate group dynamics to advantage. But once having made the breakthrough a gay employee is able to take advantage of the benefits of inclusion.

The study of gay Harvard MBA alumni 38 detailed discrimination but also determined it is better to be open about being gay than to remain closeted 39.

The authors concluded it is better to come out (and thereby exert some control over the process) than be found out or, worst, be 'suspected" of being gay 40.

Those open about their sexuality reported the highest levels of happiness with their careers and personal lives. The openly gay employees suffered far less stress than their closeted colleagues and were far more productive.

Being out also tends to impose less stress on gay partners, particularly if they themselves are out, and this contributes to a better home life 41.

Nevertheless, coming out is not an easy process; particularly when simultaneously working through your own fears and insecurities about how others will react.

Being open exposes you to hate and possible victimisation but it also enables you to enjoy friendships not possible when closeted - I am now far happier to be considered different because I am gay than to be considered different because I appear incapable of having friendships or showing love.

Incapability of that would surely be the most tragic human condition.

"To avail ourselves of the entire pool of talent out there, we cannot rely only on white males. To attract the best talent we must demonstrate that we really believe in and practice diversity in the workplace." 42

It is simple to conclude that Corporations that discriminate against homosexual employees are precluding themselves from the largest and best pool of job applicants 43.

In failing to construct an environment in which all employees feel comfortable about being themselves corporations fail to realise potential productivity gains for both gay employees and their heterosexual colleagues 44.

Further, such information about homophobic (or homo-friendly) companies is often rapidly and widely disseminated 45. [Appendix B]

Whilst debate continues about the exact number of gay men and women a rough estimate of 5% of the population appears reasonable 46. In Australian terms this indicates a working homosexual population of up to 500,000 47.

The trend over the past few decades has been for homosexuals to be more open about their orientation.

A portent of the future is the greater unwillingness of younger gay men and women to accept even a policy of "Won't Ask, Don't Tell"; their hardened attitudes building on earlier reforms, recognition of the personal cost of being secretive and a realisation that they need not work in a homophobic environment 48.

After suspending homophobic or heterosexist attitudes, gays would otherwise be seen as an ideal 'group' to attract 49.

Modern research suggests gay employees show on average the same levels of emotional stability and display higher incidences of the work styles demanded by modern corporations - such as lower aggression, higher inter-personal skills and greater collaborative behaviour - than either male or female norms 50 [some graphs for Australian gay males are contained in Appendix C as illustration].

Gays often react to a fear of social rejection and an inability to pursue relationships until they have independence away from the family home by pouring themselves into their studies and work.

The gay average skill level is consequently higher than the societal average. Figures for the US show 60% as college graduates (against the average of 18%) and 45% holding professional or managerial positions (against 16%) 51. UK figures show 27% of gays as holding degrees against a national average of 9% 52.

In blunt terms, gays may represent 17% of the college graduate and 14% of the professional/managerial pool in the US and 15% of the degree pool in the UK.

This suggests that in a corporate environment using figures of 5% may well understate the importance of attracting and retaining talented gays 53 - and in drawing them away from the 'safe' environs of running their own small businesses and from government and academic circles.

To this end, it is generally acknowledged that encouraging full and stable family lives is simply good business practice 54 - it is well established that 'married' couples are healthier and more financially secure than singles 55.

For homosexuals this means employers encouraging them to be open about their sexuality and to incorporate their partners into the workplace.

In summary, a forward thinking corporation will do well by heeding the trends and go further than anti-discrimination legislation currently proscribes.

To argue against non-discrimination requires spelling out clearly why being a homophobic corporation is good for business; this is something that cannot be done - any more than it can be done for advocating racism or sexism.

Benefits for heterosexual employees

Openness of such kind encourages more effective teamwork, a more 'family' feel to the workgroup, and higher levels of commitment and respect for the corporation.

Workers in such organisations are typically more satisfied with their work and their lives; and this is of benefit. Such organisations are better able to identify and respond to customer requirements and this superior performance gives greater job security to all employees.

At a personal level, individuals who know gay men and women tend to be more secure with their own sexuality and are more comfortable when discussing matters of sexuality and gender with their children 56.

From the perspective of organisational leaders and their management team; learning to oversee diversity makes for a better manager overall 57 which enhances their own confidence and performance as well as being a valuable asset in its own right.