“I had told so many lies, I was an expert in telling lies”
For the last few months, I’ve been listening to some extraordinary stories as I work on the second series of The Culture Colonel, a podcast focused on leadership and inclusivity.
All of the guests have been fascinating — all are worth a listen — but a starting point might be Dougie Morgan’s story.
He spent nearly four decades in the British Army, and for a large chunk of that time had to hide who he really was, because of the military’s ban on homosexuality — a ban that was only lifted in 2000.
He talks honestly about the impact that policy had on his life, the discrimination he witnessed, and how things changed when he was finally able to be honest about who he is.
“No-one turned around and asked me, why is he fighting? Why is he in the jail? … I was an expert in telling lies. I knew the facial expressions to make, I knew I couldn’t stumble… so I got away with that.”
You can listen to the episode below — and there’s a link to the rest of the series.
