How can I be "out" as polyamorous at work?

Do you have any advice on how to be "out" as poly at work? I really don't want to have to hide the existence of either of my partners.

If your question is about how to be out safely, like how to make it so you don’t “have to hide” either of your partners, that’s a sticky one. It will really depend on your workplace and the cultural attitudes of your coworkers and management. Try talking to your HR department, if you have one, about what protections exist and what the current policies are. If you need more specific advice about this, send me a follow up with more details!

If your question is more about how to share your polyamory at work, that’s a bit easier. You can do the traditional “coming out” thing where you tell coworkers you like and trust that you are polyamorous, and offer to answer questions they may have.

In casual conversation, you can say things like “one of my partners” or make it a point to mention “my partner, Claudella, and my other partner, Gurt” in the same sentence or story. You can have photos of them on your desk or wear polyam-pride things at work, and be prepared to cheerfully and shamelessly answer questions when people ask about them. You can have both your partners visit you at work, pick you up, attend work functions, etc.

Remember also that simply not bringing something up doesn’t necessarily mean that you are “hiding” it. When I worked in an office, most of my coworkers didn’t know about my hatred of tomatoes or my enamel pin collection. I wasn’t “hiding” them, but they just didn’t come up. I’m sure your coworkers have aspects of their personal lives you don’t know much about, and that’s okay! There is a big, fully inhabitable space between “hiding/closeted” and “Very Very Out” at work. Find the place on that spectrum that works for you!