Open Secret

Now, when you are starting to test the waters.

In our culture, we follow the norm of the "Open Secret"
(homosexuality tacitly acknowledged without direct affirmation of its existence)

There is an art to doing this, successfully transitioning.

So you can start to say things like

"I have gay friends." 
So you acknowledge association.

"Do you think that I should be treated any different if I were?"
Watch the eyes, when they answer this one. It says more than any verbal response.

What you are trying to guage is response to you, you are going for innuendo.
And this response, is in keeping with what they know of you from before.
They need time to process this new possibility.

The best advice I can give is
Let silence do the heavy lifting.
Let them jump to conclusion, let them jump to confusion.

At the same time, be consistent between people because they will not feel comfortable to discuss with you, and will discuss between each other.

I've done this at least six times in the last decade, with limited issues arising as a result.

And that is part of the reason I am writing this blog, to document what has been a fairly successful approach. Because too many times, I hear other LGBT saying that they could never be open in work.
That is simply not true, our society, in many places is relatively tolerant.

You just can't be blatant.

But you can stand in the middle of a cocktail party, and everyone knows, without you saying a word what you are, and people will engage you, knowing who you are.