About 15 people lounged in overstuffed armchairs and couches in the living room-styled Alumni Lounge Friday to hear a panel of four Penn State alumni discuss issues faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the workplace.

Panel members suggested that students consult local LGBT communities when job-hunting, research companies on the Internet and determine whether to include LGBT-related activities on a résumé based on the job for which they are applying.

All of the panel members said they were currently working in positive atmospheres, but knew of other people who had bad experiences.

"We all know somebody or some people who have had some difficult times," panel moderator Drew Hanson said.

Attendees said they found the discussion educational and informative.

Julie Butler (sophomore-philosophy and art) said, "I think it's really important, as an ally, to be here because it helps us to become better employers and better employees and to cater to a diverse group of people."

Panel members told their personal stories and then answered general questions asked by Hanson and audience members.

Mara Keisling, a 1988 graduate, said that when she decided to transition from a man to a woman, coming out was not a matter of choice.

"If I wanted to do it, they were gonna sort of notice," she said.

Keisling said she dresses as conservatively as possible because she knows that she is constantly "on probation."

"I am de-facto flamboyant," she said.

G. Brian Kauffman, 1981 theatre graduate, worked for General Motors and other large companies before beginning his current job as a freelance theatrical producer. Kauffman said his bosses were not concerned with his sexuality, and he liked it that way.

"The primary purpose of a corporation is not to do altruistic things, but to return the investment to the stock holders," Kauffman said.

Lee Reiner, class of 1982, said at her first job in civil engineering she did not think it was necessary or appropriate to tell upper management she was a lesbian.

"They didn't want to hear it; they just wanted the job done," Reiner said.

The "good-old-boy atmosphere" began to make her uncomfortable though, she said. She now works at a small firm of about 30 people, where sexuality is a non-issue, she said.

"I'm extraordinarily fortunate that I work in an environment that's so open," Reiner said.

The panel members agreed that coming out about sexual orientations in the workplace is a case-specific decision, and not always necessary.

"I think we validate ourselves just by being alive — if that means being in instead of out, I think that's okay," Keisling said.