11:10 pm - November 14, 2003
Diversijob

I need your help on an issue of diversity, etc. down below.

I am bouncing around full of thoughts and tasks. I feel like drinking coke and staying up forever.

Today, the acting director of my organization took me aside to tell me that I am in the top six out of 120 applicants to become the Execu*tive Director of the place. I felt really good about my application, but it was still really nice to hear this! She also told me that they took my candidacy seriously and that I should know they were doing their best to be fair to me and to all the others (e.g. not favoring me because they know me or pigeon-holing me, etc.)

She then talked to me for a while about understanding that the other 5 candidates were very strong also and that they were concerned it might be rough if they chose someone else.

It was a relief to just be honest and tell her I really want the job, but if they think someone is better, they have to go that route --what can I do about it? The reality also is that I can't keep working there making what I am making. I took a HUGE pay cut to come there and have moved from an admin position to being a key director without additional pay. That's been fine for a while, but it really does need to change for me to be able to stay.

I've also been needing to write this article on diversity for my alumnai organization's magazine. It needs to be in tomorrow -- ok it's already late, but that is the best I can do --. There are so many areas to talk about. It seems that the campus, a usually VERY liberal, gay freindly, etc. campus is struggling in several areas. Specifically, there have been issues of name calling (some would call it hate speech in public forums). Likewise there is a serious lack of diversity on campus with just one black male enrolled. The numbers are depressing. All this coupled with the conservatives on campus feeling like they have not had a voice because they are so outnumbered. One cannot call for "diversity" awareness without these folks yelling that they want theirs too.

I am torn here.

Maybe it's good to have spaces where some viewpoints are not welcome? I mean the right wingers have access to so much more of the country, right? But a college certainly cannot discriminate. And having these folks engage gives folks on all sides the chance to learn more from one another, right?

there is also tension when looking at the administration's side of things. Their thought is that they are doing some serious outreach to persons of color, etc. So many though do not enroll. This is a tough school to get into and many folks that do get in have many options. If I was a person of color and I visited the campus, I might be reluctant to enroll as well.

I did enroll, in part, because this was a great place for gay folks. I remember seeing a lesbian couple holding hands, walking around and just knew that it would be a safe place to go to school. I can't say everyone feels that now.

Oh don't get me wrong -- gay and lesbian folks are all over the place now. The race and gender symposiums my friends and I got up and running are still going in one form or another as are the GLBT symposiums as well.

There's some great shit going on, really.

Of course part of me says it is best to step back and let folks sort things out on their own-- that the lefty progressive activists that I am likely to align with will be stronger having battled the more conservative folks. But they really should feel safe in their homes and at school right? I mean no one should be subjected to slurs and oppressice behavior.

I'm conflicted on how to proceed.

What I do know is that it is best to keep talking. To keep plying through all the shit and to keep resisting those forces that say a multisexual, multicultural safe campus is not a priority.

It's all about putting a focus on respect and engagement and learning how to balance tensions like this. And I guess all in all it is about being sensitive enough to want to be the type of stuent of life and adept listener to hear other people well-enough to meet them where they are at.

We can agree that we will not agree, but I do have to answer the conservatives and say that in general, conservative folks have a considerable history of ignoring the advantages they have over others and I can listen to and understand their viewpoint, but I cannot participate in my own oppression in the name of "diversity" in its broadest sense. What I can do is work to hear and make sure people in my community are treated respectfully, that I do not call them names or hurl insults but that we work with reasoned, if passionate arguments to explain ourselves?

HELP? Any thoughts out there on this?

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