5 Things In 15 Minutes: Good Vibes in DEI

Pride & Joy with Nancy Harris

Episode Summary

Nancy Harries, Founder of Restart Consulting, and I recap the latest 5 Things (good vibes in DEI) in just 15 minutes. This week our conversation is about North Face's fight for Drag Queens and LGBTQ+ people, Mexico adding a Nonbinary option to passports, and more!

Episode Notes

This Week’s Good Vibes:

  1. The National Park Service (NPS) is working to incorporate more Black history into its storytelling about America. This includes considering the establishment of a Black Panther Party National Historical Park, and other new parks in locations related to civil rights, such as the 1964 murders of civil rights workers and the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till. The goal is to establish new national parks that facilitate conversations about race. I’m hopeful that all of these come to fruition so these stories continue to be heard and remembered. 
  2. The North Face is fighting back against backlash from conservatives for partnering with drag queen Pattie Gonia to promote their "Summer of Pride" event. However, unlike other companies that have faced similar backlash, The North Face is standing by its brand partner and expressing support for LGBTQ+ equality. When other brands have backed down, this response is significant as it demonstrates a commitment to inclusion and sends a message to other businesses about the importance of embracing LGBTQ+ consumers and employees.
  3. Mexico has introduced a new policy allowing citizens to identify as nonbinary on their passports, with the option to select "X" as their gender marker. The U.S. and Canada already have this policy in place. This is significant as it demonstrates Mexico's progress in advancing LGBTQ+ rights and the acceptance of gender beyond the binary. The indigenous Muxe of Oaxaca live and are widely accepted in their “third gender.”
  4. Texas now has the CROWN Act. The CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) aims to protect individuals from discrimination based on their natural hair in workplaces, schools, and housing policies. This affects mostly Black and Brown folks who have dreadlocks, braids, twists, and other natural hair. These folks are often burdened with the white supremacy standard of "professional” hair. There are about 20 states with this protection.
  5. In a strange turnabout, another company which faced recent conservative backlash was Chik-Fil-A, when people realized the company had a Vice President of DEI. The irony is that the fast-food restaurant chain has a history of partnerships with anti-LGBTQ organizations and has been boycotted by many people like me, who love that chicken but go to Popeye’s instead. The good news here is that (I hope) Chik-Fil-A is showing some commitment towards greater equity and inclusion…my hope is that it’s not lip service, but they haven’t released any statements.

Call to Action:

Read this article and photos about the trans joy on display at the Trans Youth Prom outside the U.S. Capitol building last week.

To learn more about Nancy, visit: https://www.restartconsult.com/

Read the full 5 Things here: https://www.theequalityinstitute.com/equality-insights-blog/pride-amp-joy