First , I discovered solid research on creativity explaining why some people are more creative than others : they can see the world from multiple perspectives or “ live in two worlds .” We can think of LGBT in these terms .
Second , Nigel Barber in his article , “ Secret of Creativity : An Oblique Perspective ,” noted that being androgynous ( LGBT ) is one of the three most frequent causes of this “ otherness .” Two other causes are being an immigrant and being seriously challenged / sick as a child .
I applied this knowledge to develop the business case for immigrant creativity ; we can also develop LGBT creativity case - because they too , can see things through several filters and find multiple , or even opposing , connotations in the same event . Understanding these characteristics will broaden the public perceptions of LGBT , mitigate intolerance — and enhance overall inclusion !
Stimulating Standpoint
Here ’ s a stimulating standpoint : despite “ double trouble ” of being an immigrant and LGBT , it ’ s possible in America to make it to the top of profession . Just look at these diverse super-talents :
Portia de Rossi , born in Australia , studied law before being cast in the role of Giddy in Sirens , a comedy starring Hugh Grant . Since 1997 , Portia turned an unforgettable role as Murphy in Scream 2 and then joined the cast of “ Ally McBeal ” followed by Stigmata , Girl , The Invisibles , etc .
After more than a decade of hard work , Portia is finally beginning to win real recognition , not only for her golden curls , but also for her wonderful talent .
Peter Thiel , born in Frankfurt , is a German-
American entrepreneur , venture capitalist and hedge fund manager . He co-founded PayPal and served as its CEO ; cofounded Palantir , of which he ’ s chairman . Interestingly , Thiel was the first outside investor in Facebook . With a 10.2 % stake acquired in 2004 for $ 500,000 , he sits on Facebook ’ s board of directors .
Thiel was ranked # 4 on the Forbes Midas List of 2014 at $ 2.2 billion — not too shabby .
Jose Antonio Vargas , born in the Philippines , is a journalist and filmmaker — and a person who doesn ’ t shy away from LGBT and immigration rights activism . In the US from age 12 , he was part of The Washington Post team that won the Pulitzer Prize for covering the Virginia Tech shooting in 2008 .
Passionate about the immigrant rights , Vargas revealed his status as an undocumented immigrant in a June 2011 essay in The New York Times Magazine , in an effort to promote dialogue about the immigration system and to advocate for the DREAM Act . His public influence continues to grow .
Are these role-models stimulating or what ?
Defining American
Americans perceive that more than one in five Americans are gay or lesbian , far greater than the actual rate as measured on Gallup Daily tracking . Some of the overestimation may reflect media portrayals of creative gay characters on television and / or movies . But the exaggerated perception of numbers is not critical for all-American progress . What ’ s critical is to define American as a freedom-loving , creative , contributing , inclusive personality — sexual orientation , origin , and such notwithstanding — then the best is yet to come !