Openly gay CNBC news anchor Shepard Smith addressed the problem of being the "token gay" at the workplace, CNBC reports. Smith has been with CNBC since 2020, but for more than two decades before that, he was with Fox News, where, for most of his tenure, he remained in the closet, only coming out publicly in 2017, though he had confided in friends and colleagues prior to that. Smith said there had been times in his own career when he had been tokenized, and told Gomez that LGBTQ+ employees "have to stand up" and advocate for themselves in a professional and respectful — but crystal-clear — manner. "I love to cover gay issues, just as I love to cover BLM [Black Lives Matter] issues, I love to cover anything about inclusivity," Smith said. "But if the workplace attitude becomes tokenizing or pigeonholing — as in, 'Oh, there's a gay story. Gay guy, go cover that' — that requires a conversation with your manager." "Not a confrontational one, not one with emotion," Smith added; "A businesslike conversation. 'I'm excited to cover this story, but I don't want to be the 'gay journalist.' I want to be a journalist who's gay.'" Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ?️???? (?️: Kilian Melloy / @dragelruairi / ?: Shepard Smith / NBC)
September 20, 2021
![Openly gay CNBC news anchor Shepard Smith addressed the problem of being the "token gay" at the workplace, CNBC reports. Smith has been with CNBC since 2020, but for more than two decades before that, he was with Fox News, where, for most of his tenure, he remained in the closet, only coming out publicly in 2017, though he had confided in friends and colleagues prior to that. Smith said there had been times in his own career when he had been tokenized, and told Gomez that LGBTQ+ employees "have to stand up" and advocate for themselves in a professional and respectful — but crystal-clear — manner. "I love to cover gay issues, just as I love to cover BLM [Black Lives Matter] issues, I love to cover anything about inclusivity," Smith said. "But if the workplace attitude becomes tokenizing or pigeonholing — as in, 'Oh, there's a gay story. Gay guy, go cover that' — that requires a conversation with your manager." "Not a confrontational one, not one with emotion," Smith added; "A businesslike conversation. 'I'm excited to cover this story, but I don't want to be the 'gay journalist.' I want to be a journalist who's gay.'" Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ?️???? (?️: Kilian Melloy / @dragelruairi / ?: Shepard Smith / NBC)](https://api.linkudu.superfps.xyz/Media/GetMedia/11865)
Openly gay CNBC news anchor Shepard Smith addressed the problem of being the "token gay" at the workplace, CNBC reports. Smith has been with CNBC since 2020, but for more than two decades before that, he was with Fox News, where, for most of his tenure, he remained in the closet, only coming out publicly in 2017, though he had confided in friends and colleagues prior to that. Smith said there had been times in his own career when he had been tokenized, and told Gomez that LGBTQ+ employees "have to stand up" and advocate for themselves in a professional and respectful — but crystal-clear — manner. "I love to cover gay issues, just as I love to cover BLM [Black Lives Matter] issues, I love to cover anything about inclusivity," Smith said. "But if the workplace attitude becomes tokenizing or pigeonholing — as in, 'Oh, there's a gay story. Gay guy, go cover that' — that requires a conversation with your manager." "Not a confrontational one, not one with emotion," Smith added; "A businesslike conversation. 'I'm excited to cover this story, but I don't want to be the 'gay journalist.' I want to be a journalist who's gay.'" Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork ?️???? (?️: Kilian Melloy / @dragelruairi / ?: Shepard Smith / NBC)
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