National Coming Out Day
by Amber Schadewald
View Lavender Magazine’s Digital Edition of Issue #375
Davina Baldwin
Working the nine-to-five scene in a sea of middle-aged, middle-class, white family men, Davina Baldwin not only stood out among her conservative colleagues, but also made the decision to “come out.” She is the only out lesbian agent she knows of working for State Farm Insurance, and one of two African-American women agents.
Davina Baldwin. Photo by Hubert Bonnet
Baldwin says, “It gets a little lonely here, but I have a community to serve, and if not me, then who? I don’t think others are seeking out the [GLBT] community quite like I am.”
Providing personal information for insurance quotes often requires conversations about loved ones, so if an agent is uncomfortable with GLBT culture, the situation easily could become awkward and discouraging.
For 12 years, Baldwin has been advertising her State Farm Insurance services in Lavender as an independent contractor, offering a more comfortable, honest insurance experience for members of the GLBT community.
Baldwin explains, “Some people avoid taking action, because they want to avoid talking about their personal life with an agent. Agents have left them with the impression that if you’re not the traditional picture of a family, there isn’t a need for the inclusion of another person in your plan.”
Being honest about your relationships can change your or your partner’s financial outcomes completely, and even can result in notable discounts for particular insurance plans. Sometimes, people tell Baldwin they have a “roommate,” but after a bit of prying and sharing her own experiences, their loved one properly is identified as a domestic partner.
Baldwin states, “You shouldn’t have to compromise your lifestyle. Insurance is just as important in our lifestyle as it is in others.”
While some argue being out at work is an unnecessary invasion of privacy, Baldwin’s honesty about her sexuality has allowed her not only to serve her clients better, but also to show her heteronormative coworkers another face of the gay community.
As Baldwin relates, “People often think there is a very specific person that is a lesbian, and that you could walk up to that person and identify their sexuality. The more we share ourselves, the more people will get a different idea of who we are and what our struggles are.”
Baldwin came out to a fellow coworker early on in her State Farm career, because she was tired of feeling invisible and hiding her personal life. Throwing back a cocktail after a business convention, her goal was just to let out her “secret” in the most casual way possible.
As Baldwin recalls, “I just wanted it to roll off my tongue”—and when it did, she was beyond relieved.
Baldwin shares with a grin, “I thought, hell, that went pretty good, so I should tell someone else—and I did. I constantly remind myself that even if I don’t know if I want to share my personal life with someone, it will further us all in the long run.”
Brian Gilligan
When Brian Gilligan says he volunteers a “decent” amount with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), he’s being modest. His volunteer work actually amounts to a significant part-time job with the organization that strives to help elect fair-minded people to federal positions, and eventually pass laws that are good for the GLBT community. It has been five years, and he’s not giving up yet.
Brian Gilligan. Photo by Hubert Bonnet
Gilligan enthuses, “You get an amazing feel of community, working with people who have the same goals, and seeing them make traction. It’s addictive.”
Even more than volunteering with a political organization, Gilligan believes the biggest piece of advocacy is just being “out” and comfortable with yourself. Staying in the closet takes away opportunities to educate the people you positively affect on a daily basis. The open and honest approach not only helps the individual function as a complete person, but also the conversation can be used as a huge education piece for community members who otherwise may not have a personal connection.
Gilligan may not have an official “coming out” story in either his personal or professional life, but it has been a natural evolution, something that just works itself into normal conversation. By day, he works in business, and while his company isn’t on the HRC list of 100 best places to work, he notes that it gets by with just enough. When he and his partner decided to make the move north, his company relocated the couple, and even found a position for his partner.
As Gilligan explains, “When rubber met the road, [my company] did the right thing, because, you know, they would do the same thing for a straight couple. And I suppose that’s another benefit of being out at work.”
HRC currently is working on a handful of critical campaigns, including the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act; a fully inclusive employment nondiscrimination act; and overturning the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Is it seeing progress? Thankfully, yes.
According to Gilligan, “Up until recently, campaigning was very frustrating. No matter what Congress passed, our former President wouldn’t sign it. Now, we’re getting a lot of traction.”
The Twin Cities has an incredible amount of resources for our large GLBT community, but even now, the work, in Gilligan’s words, “isn’t a slam dunk.”
Gilligan is in it for the long haul.
As Gilligan remarks, “You have to do something with your time. But sometimes, it does get in the way of my reality TV. At this very moment, I have Top Chef on pause.”
