Although some creative folk who chafe at the suggestion of tradition produce resumes that differ from the above-mentioned norms, few of them would go so far as to, say, cover their paper with rainbow-colored stamps that say "I'm gay!"

Itís doubtful many gay people want to go that far in letting prospective employers know about their sexuality, but what about other actions and activities that could ìoutî someone during the hiring process? For instance, many gays and lesbians have gained valuable experienceóexperience that could be mentioned on a resumeóby volunteering for obviously gay-related organizations.

Sharing that kind of information on a resume is fine and dandy according to Liz Winfield, though the co-author of Straight Talk About Gays in the Workplace isnít so sure about going too far beyond that.

ìIf a person has done work with Lambda or the HRC, for instanceóand the reader even knows what these things areócertain presumptions can be made or not,î she told Monster.com recently. ìIt's the same as if someone puts down that he is a deacon in the church or a Hebrew school teacher on the weekends.î

Beyond that, however, ìI think it is as inappropriate to come out on one's resume as it is to mark down one's religious or political affiliations,î Winfield added. ìChances are, these things, while being very important to the construct and character of the individual, have nothing to do with the task at hand.î

The people at the University of Pennsylvania Career Services take a similar stance. According to the organizationís publication, ìDiversity in the Career Search: Resources for Specific Populations,î job seekers should consider their audience ìand determine ahead of time how out you want to be. If you are applying for a ëgayí job (e.g., lobbyist for the NGLTF), then the LGBT experiences can be an obvious advantage.î

Things may not be so certain with other types of jobs, however. ìThe skills you developed as a result of participation in LGBT organizations are likely to be of interest to many employers, although the organizations in which you participated may be viewed with less enthusiasm by some. To help evaluate the policies and climates of various organizations and industries, conduct a bit of research prior to writing your resume.î

Along those lines, the University of Pennsylvania Career Services offers up some additional words of advice. ìAs with any potentially controversial group affiliation, such as political or religious activities, you will want to weigh the pros and cons of including such information. One strategy is to simply omit any reference to LGBT organizations or activities. If you do choose to include LGBT-related information on your resume, be certain to put the emphasis on accomplishments that are relevant to employers.î

Another strategy is to use a "functional" resumeóone that groups accomplishments together according to functions/skills rather than by organization name. ìAn example of this would be to list things you do well such as money management, fundraising, and bookkeeping under a heading of ëBusiness Skills.í This provides a way to highlight leadership, planning, teamwork and other skills, while de-emphasizing where you developed them. Regardless of which strategy you utilize on the resume, you will still need to be prepared for questions during an interview.î