In energy sector, coming out 'can put you at risk'

Something didn't seem quite right during John Gaspari's first day on the job at FMC Technologies in Houston. He said his department manager avoided eye contact and stared awkwardly at Gaspari's small loop earrings.

He later was told not to wear the jewelry to work, despite no dress code to that effect.

Gaspari said he never discussed his sexuality within the corporate offices of the oil services firm, but assumptions were being made. He said one manager called him "Fashionista," posing with a limp wrist. He overheard other slurs - "girl" … "sister" … "fag."

When Gaspari complained to human resources, he said the situation got worse.

"I was constantly harassed and asked, 'When are you going to quit?' "

Across the Texas oil and gas industry, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers struggle to navigate the workplace where acceptance, openness and respect can vary widely. Despite gaining marriage rights and growing mainstream acceptance, some LGBT workers in the energy business are confronted with many of the same professional pressures and doubts that persisted 20 years ago.

More than a dozen LGBT employees in Houston's oil and gas industry - from corporate offices to the oil patch to deep-sea drilling rigs - described thinly veiled or blatant discrimination. They say many companies lack a supportive culture, leading to isolation and struggles to make friends.

Coming out can be a choice between "principle and paycheck."

"The biggest fear is times like this when the oil price is down, and I wonder, 'Am I going to be let go because I'm openly gay?' " said an African-American geologist in his early 30s who works for a Houston oil firm. "It's more about survival."

Even as more energy companies add same-sex benefits and protections, a "lavender ceiling" still exists for LGBT workers just as there's a glass one for women and minority groups, said Mike Craig, a management consultant for Chevron Corp. and director of Out & Equal Houston, an advocacy group for LGBT workers.

"Being out at work, or even being a straight ally," he said, "can put you at risk."

In many ways, the energy sector mirrors Houston's dual identities - the diverse, innovative, big-business urban image clashing with a conservative culture, deeply rooted in Christian faith. The dynamic recently played out in November when voters rejected an equal rights ordinance that included protections for LGBT members and was endorsed by the city's openly gay former mayor.

Some LGBT advocates point to energy's corporate leadership for a lack of change, noting that the vast majority hold conservative social and political views. An overwhelming 90 percent of the oil and gas industry's political donations went to Republicans in the 2012 presidential election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

"Historically, the visible image of the industry has been white, male and straight," said Todd Sears, founder of Out Leadership, a consulting firm that helps companies institute LGBT-friendly policies.

Not all LGBT workers, however, lack the support they need. Several major oil and gas firms, including Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell and BP, were among the first major companies in the United States to offer equal protection and benefits roughly 20 years ago.

"We want to be an inclusive and welcome place for all employees," said Stephen Mooney, a co-chairman of Shell's SEA Shell organization - Support, Equality and Awareness at Shell - in Houston. "The acceptance level has changed over time. ... We'll continue to build momentum."

Gaspari never did quit at FMC Technologies, but the company fired him early last year. FMC declined interview requests, citing pending litigation, in which Gaspari outlined all of his harassment allegations against FMC. The company emphasized in a statement that it has always tried to foster a nondiscrimination culture.

"We expect our employees to speak out and bring issues to our attention, and we have well-established ways for them to do so," FMC said. "When we learn about issues, we immediately investigate and take appropriate action."

But overall, many energy companies lag those in other industries when it comes to equal treatment and protections for LGBT workers, said Deena Fidas, director of the Human Rights Campaign's workplace equality program.

"Unfortunately," she said, "there's a high representation of oil and gas companies that have failed to take the initial step."

Silence at the office

Working at Halliburton's corporate offices in Houston, a gay man in his late 20s says he doesn't talk about personal relationships with co-workers.

"It's a place to do your work and go home," he said, asking not to be identified.

He would like to be more open, but he says that isn't encouraged at Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil services firms. The company doesn't promote inclusiveness to the LGBT community, the employee says. There are no affinity groups.

That sort of silence says something, the employee said, but he understood there would be compromises.

"It's the oil field, after all," he said. "We knew that going in."

In a statement, a Halliburton spokeswoman said the company has policies that prohibit discrimination and "is strongly committed to providing equal opportunity to all." Company executives declined an interview request.

In Houston, many corporate LGBT energy workers take various paths when balancing what degree to be in or out. Some live the classic double life - closeted at work, but open about their sexuality outside the office.

Ronald Courville, a consultant for oil and gas companies, lives a different sort of professional duality. On the job, at Entrance Software in Houston, he is open about being gay, but everything changes when he deals with clients.

"It's totally different," he said. "Oil and gas is super conservative. It's so male- dominated."

He won't lie about his personal life, but he says he "buttons up" when doing business. Why the openness around his co-workers? Perhaps it's a generational thing, he says - "Tech is full of young people."

At energy companies outside of Houston, corporate life can feel even more isolating.

Bryce, who asked to be identified only by his first name, works at a West Texas oil firm in Midland. Many of his co-workers are socially conservative, and he wonders how many would judge him if he disclosed his sexuality.

"There's an awful lot of people here whose world began 6,000 years ago," he said.

He's lonely, in part, because there are few places to meet gay singles in this conservative oil town of 123,000. His routine is simple: Go to work, go home, go to sleep, repeat.

One co-worker asked him about his sexual orientation during a conversation about gay rights.

"I remember I blushed," Bryce said, "but I had no qualms about telling him."

He didn't ask the co-worker to keep his secret. Looking back, Bryce says, maybe he should have. Now he worries whether others know, too.

Old school talk

Raised in a Southern Baptist family, Erik Asuncion fought against his true self most of his life. He sought refuge at LeTourneau University in Longview, a town deeply rooted in the East Texas Oil Field, one of the largest reserves in the U.S.

During his sophomore year, Asuncion came out to a handful of friends, and he stayed in Longview after graduation, working as an engineer at an oil field services company.

But he withheld his sexual identity at work, especially around the machine shop. That's what you do when words like "fag" are slung around so casually.

"These are adults who should have some restraint, and they're acting like it's the sixth grade," said Asuncion, 29.

In the oil patch, manufacturing yards or offshore rigs, the work is tough, and the language is rougher. It's a male-dominated culture built on blue-collar grit and old-school attitudes - not always an easy fit for an LGBT worker.

"I couldn't trust anyone, and I just felt alone," said the Houston geologist, who worked around rigs in the Permian Basin the past few years.

He recalled one time when a colleague asked him if he liked women.

"Yeah, I'm friendly with women," the geologist replied.

"Good," his inquisitor said. "I just wanted to make sure I didn't have to worry about walking in front of you."

Ben, who did not want his last name disclosed, went "back into the closet" in recent years while working offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and in the rural Texas Eagle Ford Shale. He said it doesn't take much to arouse suspicions about your sexuality, noting that he would get hit with gay jokes just for sharing that he had a degree in music.

"I don't want to paint everyone as a homophobic pig, but it's not very progressive in the field," Ben said.

At the same time, he explains, he wasn't there to be an activist. And, he admits, he loved the paycheck. "The job and the money just sort of outweighed the equality."

Asuncion would try to rationalize that the slurs weren't aimed directly at him. He would deflect questions about dating or relationships, then go home to his "roommate."

Risks working abroad

International experience is a critical step for energy workers who want to advance at major oil and gas companies. For LGBT workers, it can be a choice between professional promotion and safety.

More than 70 countries - mostly in Africa, Asia and parts of the Caribbean - still outlaw homosexuality with sentences ranging from prison time to whippings or even the death penalty.

"If you're open, that's grounds for them to detain you immediately," Craig said of some countries.

An assignment in a place like oil-rich Nigeria is far too risky, Craig said. A Google search of a worker's name could lead to an arrest.

"That kind of assignment is not in the cards," he said. "They say, 'Come work for us. The world is open.' But it's not."

For Matthew, a two-year overseas gig helping install a new oil and gas platform was too good of a career opportunity to turn down. But he would have to live in a Caribbean country where homosexuality is illegal and prosecuted.

Over the past several months, Matthew, who asked that only his first name be used, has lived a limited social life in a place others see a tourism destination. During downtime, he travels outside of the Caribbean as much as he can afford.

"Everyone here is so scared about anyone finding out you're gay," he said.

The most LGBT-inclusive companies can do only so much when it comes to the laws and cultures of other nations, Craig said, and that can be career-limiting for LGBT employees, some of whom temporarily leave their families behind for overseas assignments.

Fidas, of Human Rights Campaign, said more companies are helping LGBT employees advance in safe places abroad, while still trying to accommodate those who are willing to take risks.

"There's a decidedly global conversation around the workplace happening," she said.

'Just one of the guys'

When Paige Orgeron began working for marine contractor Danos in 2012, she was the only woman welder at the company's Larose fabrication yard in Louisiana.

Before long, she was holding her own, producing industrial piping with the others. Unlike a previous stint, in which she was told welding was a "man's job," she felt more accepted - "just one of the guys."

More recently, Paige had come to a new place in her life after years of struggle with her gender. She would emerge as Peyton Orgeron - at home with her girlfriend … and at work.

He couldn't miss the irony of the question: Could the blue-collar men who accepted Paige as a woman now accept Peyton?

"I prepared myself for the worst," he said.

Orgeron recalled how he first disclosed himself last year to one of the more old-school co-workers. A trial balloon of sorts.

"Why?" he asked.

"When I look in the mirror," Orgeron said, "I'm not OK with what I see, because that's not me."

The reply was surprising and satisfying: "Do what you need to be happy."

Across the energy sector, more LGBT workers are stepping out, sharing who they are with co-workers and supervisors. Fearing the worst, many have been surprised to find acceptance.

Orgeron got a positive reaction from his supervisor, though the company declined comment. In fact, only one co-worker said he disapproved, but hasn't said anything since.

After keeping his sexuality a secret at previous energy jobs, John Chakalis decided to be open from the beginning when the geophysicist joined a midsize Houston energy company three years ago. Shortly after he started, the CEO warmly greeted him and his future husband at the company Christmas party. The CEO has asked about his partner ever since.

"It makes life a lot easier not having that kind of anxiety hanging over you," Chakalis said.

Likewise, another oil and gas employee decided to become open about her sexuality as soon as she joined Occidental Petroleum Corp. Before then, she worked in the oil patch, where she kept her personal life private.

"It's an old white man's club, and it's really hard to break that ceiling," said the woman, who asked not to be identified.

Joining Occidental, which relocated in 2014 from California to Houston, was liberating. While she was interviewing for the job, she scanned the office and saw that nearly half of the people were women. The gender diversity gave her the confidence to ask about domestic partner benefits.

"I disclosed because I wanted to see how they'd respond," she said. "I felt so free about it. There was just a different attitude, a different atmosphere."

Taylor Brown, an offshore geologist, quickly became comfortable two years ago telling his Houston co-workers about his sexuality.

"My husband and I are going on vacation," he recalled telling a few of his peers. He was thrilled when they simply asked where they were going.

Nowadays, Orgeron said, he and his co-workers can joke around about his gender, his testosterone shots and his new body hair. Curiosity following the revelation of Caitlyn Jenner certainly helped.

"It's fun for them - they can ask me all these questions," said Orgeron, who married his girlfriend in August. And, just like before, "they act like I'm one of the guys."

'Not there yet'

While some Big Oil companies like Shell and BP have garnered praise for their LGBT policies, advocates say many parts of the energy sector are lagging.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the largest national LGBT civil rights organization, ranks U.S. businesses for corporate equality. Of the 407 companies that earned perfect 100 scores, only two were oil and gas (Chevron and Shell).

Meanwhile, 54 oil and gas and mining companies averaged a 31.3 score out of 100 - the lowest of all the sectors in the foundation's Corporate Equality Index.

"The big companies seem to be more progressive. The smaller ones and independents are just now starting to come along," said Kathy Brenneman, who led Chevron's PRIDE program. "They're not there yet."

Craig, who has an advisory role with Chevron's PRIDE network, encourages gay energy workers to come out, but they do so at their own risk. Neither federal nor Texas law explicitly protects workers based on sexual orientation.

Craig acknowledges that LGBT workers face many of the same challenges others have in the past, especially if they are the first to come out at their workplace.

"People need to be brave and step outside their comfort zones," he said.

For Orgeron, it isn't easy having to be brave every time he has to find a bathroom.

"It sucks. It's just awkward," Orgeron said. "If I walk into the women's room, it's like, 'Oh my God, there's a boy in there.' If I walk into the men's room, it's, 'Oh my God, there's a girl in there.' "

Houston's equal rights ordinance was supposed to help people like Orgeron. Instead, HERO's opponents focused on the fear of transgender men using women's restrooms, leading to its defeat.

Struggle isn't over

After filing a complaint against FMC Technologies in 2013 with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Gaspari said many of his duties as a liaison with suppliers were stripped from him.

"I know there are other people out there in similar situations who are too afraid to speak out," Gaspari said. A discrimination and wrongful termination lawsuit is pending.

In court filings, FMC said Gaspari never cited discrimination in his initial complaints to the company. Gaspari filed his legal grievance before the company could finish its investigation, FMC noted, which led to corrective actions, including the firing of two managers. Any harassment based on sexual orientation, FMC said, was broad and not based on any "legally protected classification."

In February, Gaspari was leaving a Montrose nightspot when he was approached by three men.

They yelled, "Get the fag," and shot him twice in the back and stomach. They kicked him while he was on the ground until he passed out. His cellphone and wallet were taken. No arrests have been made.

Gaspari is recovering from the wounds - he recently completed the last of five surgeries - and hopes to begin exercising soon.

He still wonders whether he should have made the move from Chicago to Houston, but he is embracing a new mission - fighting for others in the workplace and beyond it.

"I'm a very strong person," he said. "This made me stronger."