I have been horrified to watch the wholesale attack on DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) that has engulfed the federal government since the new administration took office.
It is about the most un-American impulse possible. E pluribus unum, meaning “out of many, one” in Latin, is the motto of the United States, recalling the union of the 13 original colonies into a single nation, and it is featured on the Great Seal of the United States dating back to 1776.
The motto represents the concept of forming a new nation through the union of the 13 original colonies, emphasizing the idea of unity in diversity. The Second Continental Congress (which sat from May 10, 1775 to March 2, 1789) made it the nation’s official motto in 1782, and it is an idea so woven into the fabric of our country that it appears on our currency.
I say that as a member of two minority communities who have benefited greatly by first the recognition of how we differ (diversity) from the majority and second by being included (inclusion) alongside the majority. I am gay and disabled.
But my concept of America is broad enough to define it not just based along the narrow lines of my identity – along the lines of my “in groups” – it also encompasses the straight and able-bodied communities, not because they are the majority, but because they are here. Together, we are Americans: some gay some straight, some in wheelchairs, some walking around on their own two feet. We are better together.
One of the administration’s early and most sinister moves was its hostile takeover of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, whose mission statement begins (at least for now):
As the Nation’s Cultural Center, the Kennedy Center’s objective is to invite art into the lives of all Americans and ensure it represents the cultural diversity of America. Our mission is to fulfill inspiration for all. We do this by creating a welcoming and inclusive culture where everyone belongs and benefits, and the performing arts flourish.
We commit to delivering on this vision of unity and inclusion…
The administration summarily dismissed the entire board of trustees and appointed a new board of trustees made up of MAGA loyalists and lackeys. This new board installed a man by the name of Richard Grenell, who is gay, as interim president.
named in honor of our 35th president – John F. Kennedy
Since then, LGBTQ+ events have been quietly done away with; the WorldPride concert featuring the National Symphony Orchestra – cancelled, a performance by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC – cancelled, and the Kennedy Center’s annual Pride Month celebration set for June – can you guess?… yup, cancelled.
This comes at a time when the administration has been hard at work dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across the federal government – sweeping executive orders have eliminated DEI initiatives and resulted in mass firings of employees working on them, and they’ve gone so far as to erase any references to LGBTQ+ identities from government websites.
In a moment that made everyone laugh at the colossal stupidity (when we weren’t cringing from embarrassment), images of “Enola Gay,” the aircraft that dropped the first atomic bomb the world had ever seen on Hiroshima in Japan during WWII were flagged for removal from the Pentagon in an effort to eliminate DEI content, presumably because … um, I dunno, they thought it was a gay plane named Enola? What’s next? Pictures of biplanes?
Hang on to your knickers. This is going to be fun.
After Vice President JD Vance and his wife took their seats at the Kennedy Center last Thursday night for a concert by the National Symphony Orchestra, they were met with a loud and sustained chorus of boos. Which caused Ric Grenell to spring into action Friday morning, but not in the way you might think. Grenell, a culture warrior who has made a career out of criticizing progressive policies, called for the very diversity and inclusion that the administration has been attacking and dismantling across the entirety of the federal government!
As reported in the Washington Post, he sent an internal email to Kennedy Center staff addressing the incident, in which he wrote (emphasis mine):
As President, I take diversity and inclusion very seriously … I have met with many of you, and I love that we are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, agnostic, gay, straight, Black, white, Hispanic, and absolutely different … Intolerance towards people who are politically different is just as unacceptable as intolerance in other areas … Everyone is welcome at the Kennedy Center.
The hypocrisy is astounding. It takes your breath away. But lest you think this was just an internal missive never meant to see the light of day, Mr. Grenell took to X and posted this:
Your eyes are not deceiving you. He posted (again, emphasis mine):
It troubles me to see that so many in the audience appear to be white and intolerant of diverse political views. Diversity is our strength.
We must do better. We must welcome EVERYONE.
Um, yah. I don’t really know if there’s anything more to say.