The US has repealed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy relating to gays in the military. But what about gays in Corporate America who are still in the proverbial closet? If a worker has to keep her personal life hidden out of fear, it can affect her performance, in addition to affecting the company's general employee retention and recruitment.

As competition for high performing employees increase worldwide, companies cannot afford to keep their gay workers in the closet. Nowadays, companies need to have a more inclusive culture in order to survive and to retain their top talent.

One company that puts this into practice is Ernst & Young. They created a resource group called Beyond that deals with any LGBT issues. As a global firm they often send and receive workers internationally and encourage workers to take overseas positions. But they also have to be mindful of where they send their workers as not every country recognizes gay marriages.

Having LGBT inclusiveness shows that a company is attractive to work with, and that can go a long way in recruiting and retaining high performing workers.

Do you practice inclusiveness in your organization? Do share your thoughts.