What Will Tim Cook’s Impact Be?; New York Times, 10/30/14

Anna North, New York Times; What Will Tim Cook’s Impact Be? :

"At Time, Daniel D’Addario writes: “Tim Cook has set a new paradigm, describing his sexuality as not merely a small aspect of himself that he needs to get through talking about, but as central to his identity.” And, he adds:

“It’s a sign of how much society has changed even since 2012 that Cook is finally able to present the somewhat revolutionary idea that being gay is not just the same as being straight — that it is not a simple aspect of one’s makeup. It changes the way one views the world, as Cook writes. It also compels one forward to take part in a cause larger than oneself.”

At the Harvard Business Review, Dorie Clark writes:

“Even for those like Tim Cook, who was out to colleagues but not to ‘the world’ at large, the stress of downplaying one’s identity can take a toll. Research by the Deloitte University Leadership Center for Inclusion showed that 83% of gay employees ‘covered’ at work — i.e., even if they were technically out, they still felt the need to minimize their differences by, for instance, not bringing their partner to work functions, or not displaying family photographs at the office. Cook’s coming out demonstrates powerfully to executives at Apple — and elsewhere in the corporate world — that covering is no longer required to succeed at the top.”"

Apple’s Tim Cook Says That He Is ‘Proud to Be Gay’; New York Times, 10/30/14

Brian X. Chen and Vindu Goel, New York Times; Apple’s Tim Cook Says That He Is ‘Proud to Be Gay’ :

"The Valley has also been ahead of the curve in extending employee benefits to same-sex partners and spouses. But tech companies, particularly start-ups founded and staffed largely by young white men, have struggled to deal with a fraternitylike workplace atmosphere inhospitable to women and gay people. Silicon Valley has few prominent executives who are openly gay.

“Thank you Tim for showing what it means to be a real, courageous and authentic leader,” Mr. Zuckerberg wrote on his social network as he shared Mr. Cook’s essay with his followers.

Rob Glaser, chief executive of Real Networks, a maker of media player software in Seattle, said in an interview that Mr. Cook’s step was “hugely positive.”

“Life is about role models,” said Mr. Glaser, who has worked in the tech industry for three decades. “If you’re a 14-year old kid and you find the C.E.O. of one of the most iconic companies in the world happens to be gay, you’ll think, ‘There’s no limit on what I can do.'"”

Tim Cook Speaks Up; Businessweek, 10/30/14

Tim Cook, Businessweek; Tim Cook Speaks Up:

"Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other minority groups deal with every day. It’s made me more empathetic, which has led to a richer life. It’s been tough and uncomfortable at times, but it has given me the confidence to be myself, to follow my own path, and to rise above adversity and bigotry. It’s also given me the skin of a rhinoceros, which comes in handy when you’re the CEO of Apple."

Mapping the USA's diversity from 1960-2060; USA Today, 10/22/14

USA Today; Mapping the USA's diversity from 1960-2060:

"The USA TODAY Diversity Index shows diversity has surged in the last 50 years and is expected to continue rising. The U.S. index rose from 20 in 1960 to 55 in 2010. Driven by changing attitudes and a record wave of immigration, the pace of change varies widely, sometimes even in adjacent counties. Explore this map for a county-by-county look at how your area will change."

NIH awards ~$31 million to enhance diversity in the biomedical research workforce; NIH, 10/22/14

NIH; NIH awards ~$31 million to enhance diversity in the biomedical research workforce:

"The National Institutes of Health announced the award of nearly $31 million in fiscal year 2014 funds to develop new approaches that engage researchers, including those from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical sciences, and prepare them to thrive in the NIH-funded workforce. These awards are part of a projected five-year program to support more than 50 awardees and partnering institutions in establishing a national consortium to develop, implement, and evaluate approaches to encourage individuals to start and stay in biomedical research careers. Supported by the NIH Common Fund and all NIH 27 institutes and centers, 12 awards will be issued as part of three initiatives of the Enhancing the Diversity of the NIH-Funded Workforce program...

Research demonstrates that economic, social, and cultural factors have a powerful impact on the pursuit of science careers, and has provided small scale data on interventions that have the potential to transform biomedical research training if implemented widely. This body of work suggests that a fundamental shift in the way scientists are trained and mentored is required to attract and sustain the interest of people from underrepresented groups in the scientific workforce at all career stages."

NYCC: Diversity and the World Outside Marvel Comics' Window; ComicBookResources.com, 10/22/14

Cardner Clark, ComicBookResources.com; NYCC: Diversity and the World Outside Marvel Comics' Window:

"Marvel Comics creators gathered at New York Comic Con to discuss the topic of diversity through 75 years of Marvel history. Editor Daniel Ketchum moderated Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso "Ms. Marvel" co-creator and editor Sana Amanat, Kurt Busiek, Kelly Sue DeConnick, writer Kieron Gillen, editor and colorist Marie Javins, editor and "Sabre" writer Don McGregor, and editor and writer Ann Nocenti.

Ketchum started by explaining the theme of the panel: "The World Outside Your Window." "Ever since I started at Marvel, one of the comments that I've heard over and over is that Marvel Comics should reflect the world outside your window, meaning that we aim to capture real-life experiences in the adventures we put on the page, as well as showing that the makeup of our diverse cast of characters -- we want our characters to match the diversity of our audience." Although that has not always been the case in the comics industry, the panelists were eager to discuss the history of diversity at Marvel and suggest ways to make comics more inclusive."

Marvel introduces hearing-impaired hero Sapheara; ComicBookResources.com, 10/21/14

Kevin Melrose, ComicBookResources.com; Marvel introduces hearing-impaired hero Sapheara:

"Remember Blue Ear, the costumed character created in 2012 by Marvel to convince then 4-year-old Anthony Smith that superheroes do wear hearing aids? Well, now meet Sapheara, a pint-sized superheroine with cochlear implants.

She teams with Iron Man and Blue Ear in Sound Effects, a new comic by Marvel Custom Solutions and the Children’s Hearing Institute of New York that addresses cochlear implants, bullying, hearing-loss awareness and hearing-loss prevention. It will be distributed later this month to about 150,000 students in grades 3 through 7 in the New York City area."

What Kind of Town Bans Books?; New Yorker, 10/1/14

Annie Julia Wyman, New Yorker; What Kind of Town Bans Books? :

"The Highland Park Independent School District, and all the other American institutions that still censor books, grapple with a set of very old and perhaps unanswerable questions: What is art, anyway? Must it be good for us? Do we accept a character’s moral flaws if we read about them? Must we experience everything an author puts into a book, or can we skip the things that disturb us or with which we disagree? On one side of the cultural divide, the pro-books side, our answers align against moralistic messages, against utility, against excisions of any kind. We feel that, while art is so powerful it can change lives, it is also so fragile and precious that it badly needs our protection. But there are other answers to these old questions—new perspectives that literary culture allows us to access. The dog from Garth Stein’s novel thinks, “I learn about other cultures and other ways of life, and then I start thinking about my own place in the world and what makes sense and what doesn’t.”* That’s exactly the kind of openness that I want to teach, and exactly what I learned in the place where I grew up."

Supreme Court Hands Gay Marriage a Tacit Victory; New York Times, 10/6/14

Adam Liptak, New York Times; Supreme Court Hands Gay Marriage a Tacit Victory:

"The development, a major surprise, cleared the way for same-sex marriages in Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. Officials in Virginia announced that marriages would start at 1 p.m. on Monday.

The decision to let the appeals court rulings stand, which came without explanation in a series of brief orders, will almost immediately increase the number of states allowing same-sex marriage from 19 to 24, along with the District of Columbia. The impact of the move will in short order be even broader.

Monday’s orders let stand decisions from three federal appeals courts with jurisdiction over six other states that ban same-sex marriage: Colorado, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming. Those appeals courts will almost certainly follow their own precedents to strike down those additional bans as well, meaning the number of states with same-sex marriage should soon climb to 30."

Silicon Valley’s Diversity Problem; New York Times, 10/4/14

Editorial Board, New York Times; Silicon Valley’s Diversity Problem:

"After years of playing down the problem, technology companies like Google, Facebook and Apple now say they’re serious about improving the gender and ethnic diversity of their work forces and corporate boards. Recent data from those companies and others like them confirm what everyone has long known: Most of their employees are white and Asian men. Among technical employees, few are women, and even fewer are Latino or African-American.

Tech companies should care about these numbers. Many studies show that companies with gender and ethnic diversity tend to be more creative and more profitable, because varied perspectives help them design products and services that appeal to a diverse, worldwide audience.

The companies say they’re starting to address the problem by acknowledging it."

Microsoft releases diversity stats, says 'much work' still to be done; CNet, 10/3/14

Mary Jo Foley, CNet; Microsoft releases diversity stats, says 'much work' still to be done:

"Women now comprise 29 percent of Microsoft's worldwide workforce, up from 24 percent over the past year, according to new figures released by the company.

Microsoft made available new diversity stats and launched a new diversity and inclusion Web site on October 3."

For Bill on Disabled Access to Online Teaching Materials, the Devil’s in the Details; Chronicle of Higher Education, 9/30/14

Rebecca Koenig, Chronicle of Higher Education; For Bill on Disabled Access to Online Teaching Materials, the Devil’s in the Details:

"As smart classrooms become the norm on more campuses and online courses proliferate, some observers worry that the digital revolution will leave students with disabilities behind. But a bill under consideration in the U.S. Congress, the Technology, Equality, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education Act (HR 3505), would deal with that concern by creating accessibility guidelines for electronic materials used or assigned by college professors and administrators.

While the bill, known as the Teach Act, has bipartisan support in Congress, several higher-education organizations have raised concerns about what they consider the legislation’s broad language, inflexibility, and misplaced oversight."

GLAAD's Network Responsibility Index, 'Where We Are On TV' Reports Find Surge In LGBT Programming; Huffington Post, 10/1/14

Curtis M. Wong, Huffington Post; GLAAD's Network Responsibility Index, 'Where We Are On TV' Reports Find Surge In LGBT Programming:

"MTV, ABC Family and HBO officials have an extra special reason to celebrate today, as the three networks received "Excellent" ratings on GLAAD's Network Responsibility Index.

Now in its eighth year, the Network Responsibility Index rates TV networks on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) inclusive content from June 2013 to May 2014, and is one of two GLAAD entertainment reports released Oct. 1. GLAAD assigned grades of Excellent, Good, Adequate, or Failing based on the "quality, diversity and relative quantity" of LGBT representations in each network's original programming, according to the advocacy group's officials...

"At HBO we feel if we are not telling diverse stories then we are missing out on some of the best stories," Lombardo added. HBO's films and series like "The Normal Heart" and "Looking" represented "a part of our history and an ongoing commitment.""