Aniket's Post

"No one warned me that being gay at work could be this… normal.” I moved straight from academia into corporate life in 2022. No gap years, no pause, just degrees done and a Data Scientist role waiting at an American tech MNC. It began during COVID, so work-from-home was the default. When offices reopened and I started going in, I carried a quiet curiosity with me. What would this space feel like? Turns out, nothing tough. Colleagues slowly became friends. Conversations spread out from work to life, weekends, and relationships very naturally. I spoke about my life the same way everyone else did, and no one made it strange. There wasn’t a single moment where I “came out.” I just… existed. And that was enough. What stayed with me was the consistency. A manager who never flinched. A director who was openly an ally. No jokes to dodge, no comments to translate in my head before responding. I also always dressed for comfort and choice. Not to signal anything. Just to feel like myself. The compliments I received, across genders, felt like small reminders that self-expression doesn’t need explaining. I stayed there for three years, and somewhere along the way, I grew into myself as much as I grew into the role. Last year, I moved to a Dutch MNC as a Data Scientist 3. This time, the job was fully remote. But distance didn’t dilute inclusion. I found myself participating in pride initiatives that ran through the year, not just Pride Month. I was also paired with a queer mentor, and we discussed visibility, and what it means to show up for people. Over time, my comfort with my identity deepened. But what stands out most is what didn’t happen. I didn’t face bias. I didn’t learn to read between the lines. I didn’t brace myself before meetings. That mattered more than any policy or poster. And I know there’s privilege in being able to say this. But I also know what it shows: when inclusion is real and not performative, people don’t waste energy hiding. They use it to think, create, build. Now, in a senior role, I notice myself being more intentional to make an inclusive space for everyone. Aniket Chauhan, 27 Data Scientist 3, Technology Male, Gay

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This post was published on 20th January, 2026 by Aniket on his Instagram handle "@anikett_chauhan (Aniket Chauhan)". Aniket has total 25.2K followers on Instagram and has a total of 44 post.This post has received 2.2K Likes which are greater than the average likes that Aniket gets. Aniket receives an average engagement rate of 3.68% per post on Instagram. This post has received 120 comments which are greater than the average comments that Aniket gets. Overall the engagement rate for this post was lower than the average for the profile.