myGwork spoke to the Senior Regulatory Engineer at Baxter International Inc about her journey
BY ZOE SCHULZ
Amanda Goodhines, Senior Regulatory Engineer at Baxter International Inc., shares with myGwork her journey of self-discovery, LGBTQIA+ visibility, and the pursuit of joy.
Growing up in Syracuse, New York, Amanda greatly appreciates the friends and family she has always had around her. Growing up, Amanda always yearned for a big sister. So, when she gained an older stepsister, it was a dream come true. Looking back on their relationship, Amanda reflects on how her stepsister became an inspiring role model. Seeing her stepsister come out showed Amanda that you could be true to yourself and find acceptance from others.
Amanda realized the need to come out to those around her during her time at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where she was studying biomedical engineering. It was during her university years that she discovered the importance of sharing her truth, especially after her older brother had also come out as LGBTQIA. Even though Amanda found support from LGBTQIA friends in her soccer and softball teams, the decision to come out remained challenging and daunting.
“Seeing my friends and siblings at the time live authentically, be open about their identity, and be accepted was helpful and made it easier for me to do the same,” Amanda shares. “Just seeing this visibility, knowing I wouldn’t be the odd person out, was impactful. It didn’t make it any less scary to come out to my parents, though, even though my siblings had done it.”
“It was scary to come out to my parents and close friends,” Amanda admits. Nonetheless, Amanda approached the process of coming out gradually, taking it one person at a time, and was met with overwhelming support and acceptance. Once she had informed those closest to her, she realised – she no longer wanted to feel the need to come out continuously. Motivated by this desire, she made a bold decision to post a photo of herself at a local Pride Parade, accompanied by the following empowering words:
“Roses are red, groutfits are grey.
Yesterday was Pride, and I’m gay.”
That was that. Sometimes, a single act of unwavering visibility can permit us to show up in our most authentic form. This was true for Amanda. Now in her role as a Senior Regulatory Engineer at Baxter, Amanda remains steadfast in her commitment to visibility and authenticity. She serves as the chapter co-leader of Baxter’s PRIDE Business Resource Group (BRG), which aims to ensure all LGBTQIA people and their allies can be their authentic selves at Baxter. As chapter co-lead, Amanda brings members together to drive employee and community initiatives that align with PRIDE’s mission.
“I’m proud of the number of allies in the PRIDE BRG. From my perspective, it’s great to see so many people I work with feel passionately about being involved. Some of our members have non-binary, trans and gay children, and it’s nice for me to be able to see a parent who’s going all out at their workplace to make sure LGBTQIA people feel accepted and included. So, to me, that’s something extraordinary.”
Amanda recently shared her story on Baxter’s social media channels for National Coming Out Day and found it empowering to openly talk about her experience and hear about other people’s journeys. It also meant a great deal to her to see so many of her colleagues express empathy, understanding and a genuine desire to learn from people with diverse experiences.
Amanda is eager to continue working with the PRIDE BRG to support the LGBTQIA community and foster a culture of allyship and support at Baxter and beyond. As part of these efforts, the PRIDE BRG is working to establish connections with young people at local colleges and high schools to organise events and serve as positive role models in the workplace.
Amanda also hopes we will reach a point where people won’t have to come out. Despite being met by support, coming out was a scary experience for her. She looks forward to a future in which people don’t presume one another’s identity and instead let everyone figure this out freely.
“Having a support system when I came out has brought me joy in my life, along with finding a partner who I can share my life with and our love together.” It’s also the simple things that continue to bring Amanda joy. Having been with her partner for five years, she hopes that at some point, they will be able to buy a house together and adopt a dog.
Amanda’s journey exemplifies the transformative impact of visibility and acceptance. As she continues to advocate for inclusion and diversity within Baxter, Amanda’s unwavering commitment to fostering a culture of allyship sets a powerful example for colleagues and peers alike. And now, coming “full circle,” she can be a visible role model for those around her, showing it’s okay to be your true self.
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