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Authenticity is often praised, and inauthenticity is criticised. We want people to be themselves. But what happens if the society we\u2019re in isn\u2019t supportive or even hostile toward who we really are? Or we don\u2019t yet know. That\u2019s the challenge facing many LGBTQ+ people in relation to coming out.

It\u2019s the subject of a brand new book called \u2018Countless Sleepless Nights\u2019 which tells the real-life stories of people who, because of their sexuality, have had to or are dealing with the challenges of whether, how and when to come out. Not just people who live in societies where they have rights but also those living in regimes where being honest about your sexuality risks being imprisoned or killed.

The book\u2019s author is Carina Maggar, and she\u2019s my guest on this episode. Carina is a creative copywriter who has been on the show before talking about her first book \u2018How To Make Work Not Suck\u2019. The book came about because Carina is herself gay and had her own coming out experience.

I\u2019m fascinated by this subject on a number of levels. As a straight man, I\u2019ve never had to contend with the challenge of coming out and what that means. Yet it\u2019s a very common experience, and I think it\u2019s helpful to have an appreciation of what others are going through. I hope this episode can make those of us who have no experience of coming out to be more empathetic towards those who are or might go through it.

Then there\u2019s a human risk angle. If we want to get the best out of everyone \u2014 either societally or in a work context \u2014 then we need to be inclusive and not have people having to pretend they\u2019re something they\u2019re not. Spending your entire life being unable to be honest is debilitating, and it doesn\u2019t bring the best out of anyone. Finally, and most importantly, it\u2019s about shining a light on the fact that some people can\u2019t be who they really are, and their lives are in danger as a result. That\u2019s not right, and we need to talk about it.

Resources
To learn more about Carina and her first book \u2018How To Make Work Not Suck\u2019 go to her website: https://www.carinamaggar.com/

To order \u2018Countless Sleepless Nights\u2019: https://www.laurenceking.com/products/countless-sleepless-nights

To hear Carina\u2019s previous appearance on the show: https://www.humanriskpodcast.com/carina-maggar-on-how-to-make-work-not-suck/