Virginia is making progress. Governor Youngkin inherited, as part of the state bureaucracy, a department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. He’s already renamed it to remove equity and replace it with opportunity, so that’s a step in the right direction.
However, it’s going to take more than changes within a single state’s bureaucracy to roll back the tide of political correctness with reference to this system which has so enraptured the leaders of commerce and industry around the country. Anecdotally, the larger a company is, the more likely it is to have someone at the C-level (or just below it) to drive DIE. And, of course, this philosophy started in the universities in the West before it got to the boardroom. Jordan Peterson speaks to how it’s changed his life (and not for the better):
I recently resigned from my position as full tenured professor at the University of Toronto.
[…]
We are now at the point where race, ethnicity, “gender,” or sexual preference is first, accepted as the fundamental characteristic defining each person (just as the radical leftists were hoping) and second, is now treated as the most important qualification for study, research and employment.
Need I point out that this is insane?
Yes. It is insane to alienate people in this manner. No, he shouldn’t need to point it out.
Unfortunately, this is the new world in which most of us must live. Making the choice between keeping our mouths shut (and being thought in agreement) or opening our mouths (and removing all doubt) is difficult, particularly when speaking out threatens our livelihood. But, until enough of us say “this is insane” and back it up with our actions, the situation in academia and the corporate world won’t be getting any better.