i so identify with what helen says about a weight being lifted off your shoulders when you are able to be honest with everyone around you. you are happier, you're more relaxed, not lying any more. you are stronger, and so are your team—mates, or your workmates. i think though, the fears are real, and the challenges still exist, and you worry about being excluded, or disapproved of, or shamed. in some senses, and this goes back to what martina navratilova was talking about, you worry about not being promoted, not being supported in your career. luckily, there are so many examples now of companies who are forward—thinking and outward—looking, and who actively want to support individuals who are just that — individual. many of the best paid sportswomen in the world are also gay. look at abby wambach, the usa's leading all—time goal—scorer who won two olympic gold medals and a world cup, now she's a bestselling author and motivational speaker. megan rapinoe, the winner of