Has ‘Diversity’ Lost Its Meaning?; New York Times, 10/27/15

Anna Holmes, New York Times; Has ‘Diversity’ Lost Its Meaning? :

"How does a word become so muddled that it loses much of its meaning? How does it go from communicating something idealistic to something cynical and suspect? If that word is ‘‘diversity,’’ the answer is: through a combination of overuse, imprecision, inertia and self-serving intentions...

When the word is proudly invoked in a corporate context, it acquires a certain sheen. It can give a person or institution moral credibility, a phenomenon that Nancy Leong, a University of Denver law professor, calls ‘‘racial capitalism’’ and defines as ‘‘an individual or group deriving value from the racial identity of another person.’’ It’s almost as if cheerfully and frequently uttering the word ‘‘diversity’’ is the equivalent of doing the work of actually making it a reality...

Adding to the ambiguity is the fact that the definition of ‘‘diversity’’ changes depending on who is doing the talking...

Bragging about hiring a few people of color, or women, seems to come from the same interpretive bias, where a small amount is enough. It also puts significant pressure on the few ‘‘diverse’’ folks who are allowed into any given club, where they are expected to be ambassadors of sorts, representing the minority identity while conforming to the majority one...

DuVernay herself hinted at this when she, too, admitted that she hates the word. ‘‘It feels like medicine,’’ she said in her speech. ‘‘ ‘Diversity’ is like, ‘Ugh, I have to do diversity.’ I recognize and celebrate what it is, but that word, to me, is a disconnect. There’s an emotional disconnect. ‘Inclusion’ feels closer; ‘belonging’ is even closer.’"

Star Wars: The Empathy Awakens; ComicBookResources.com, 10/22/15

Brett White, ComicBookResources.com; Star Wars: The Empathy Awakens:

"Fast-forward a few decades to literally a month ago, and I experienced another, similar Big Star Wars Moment -- one that came about because of the recent push towards diverse leads. Being obsessed with Star Wars again, I thought I might check out Chuck Wendig's "Aftermath: Star Wars"; when I learned that one of the leads was a gay man, I changed that "might" to "oh it's already on my iPad that happened quickly." Wendig gave me something that I never thought I would get from Star Wars, something I didn't even know I needed from Star Wars: Sinjir Rath Velus, an ex-Imperial officer that's quick with his wits and quips as well as his fists. He's scruffy, usually a little bit drunk, and he's gay. He's gay Han Solo. He's gay Han Solo. My heart jumps into my throat just reading that, it means so much to me.

I never saw gay characters like myself anywhere growing up; it's why I kept trying to date girls through to my senior year of college. If the original post-"Return of the Jeid" novel "Heir to the Empire" had had a Sinjir in it, I know that my life would have been changed. I love that character because he's the Han Solo archetype that I've repeatedly geeked out over since I was six, but he means even more to me because he, being gay, validates my metaphorical place among the ranks of the Rebellion. There are parts of America where I do not feel comfortable being an out homosexual, but Sinjir's existence makes me feel finally, truly welcome in Star Wars -- a thing I love and a safe space I return to over and over again."

NYCC: Liu, Whitley, Watters & More on the Importance of Pushing Comics' Boundaries; ComicBookResources.com, 10/11/15

Ben Kaye, ComicBookResources.com; NYCC: Liu, Whitley, Watters & More on the Importance of Pushing Comics' Boundaries:

"The Push Boundaries Forward: Gender, Diversity, and Representation in Comic Books panel at New York Comic-Con opened with a quick but illuminating crowd poll. Moderator David Brothers asked how long people had been reading comics, and the loudest response was for only five years, an answer that spoke to how the market's current wide-range of comics is attracting new readers.

"I don't know what we're going to talk about exactly because there are so many things that we can cover," Brothers said as he introduced the panel of Darryl Ayo, Jeremy Whitley, Marjorie Liu, Amber Garza, Joey Stern and Shannon Watters. To open, he shared a scene from Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's "New X-Men" in which Emma Frost says, "The whole world is watching us now. We must be nothing less than fabulous," a quote Brothers feels well-represents diversity in comics. "Diversity is fundamentally about including everyone and everything, but because we're having this conversation, we're trying to actively include people as opposed to having included them from the beginning… Diversity in the industry comes from the top down, but in the culture, diversity comes from us.""

France in Stalemate With Vatican Over Nomination of Envoy Said to Be Gay; New York Times, 10/15/15

Aurelien Breeden, New York Times; France in Stalemate With Vatican Over Nomination of Envoy Said to Be Gay:

"The dispute between Paris and the Vatican has simmered quietly since January, when France put forward its nominee for ambassador to the Holy See, Laurent Stefanini, the chief of protocol for President François Hollande.

Nine months later, the Vatican still has not said whether it would accept Mr. Stefanini’s credentials. Nor has it provided a public explanation for the delay.

The French and Italian news media have reported that he is gay and speculated that the nomination has been given what is widely being interpreted as a pocket veto, though neither Mr. Stefanini nor the French government have confirmed his sexual orientation. The French government has not denied it either, citing respect for his privacy.

Other factors, analysts say, may be the Vatican’s displeasure with France’s legalization of same-sex marriage, or the fact that news of Mr. Stefanini’s nomination had leaked before it was announced.

In any case, French news reports now suggest that the French government has lost hope that Mr. Stefanini will be accredited, even as French officials insist that the process is continuing.

The daily newspaper Libération, quoting anonymous government officials, reported last week that the French government had taken note of the Vatican’s silence and had interpreted it, as many analysts have, as a refusal."

More Companies Say Targets Are the Key to Diversity; Wall Street Journal, 9/30/15

Rachel Feintzeig, Wall Street Journal; More Companies Say Targets Are the Key to Diversity:

Realizing that simply voicing support for diversity initiatives won’t lead to meaningful change, big companies are setting discrete goals for hiring and retaining women. These include mandating that diverse candidates are interviewed for jobs, and ensuring that new hires get interviewed or vetted by someone other than white men.

J&J, Intel Corp. , BASF SE and many others say putting hard numbers around diversity and tying those numbers to pay and performance helps ensure real progress when it comes to advancing women. Data suggest that the approach makes a difference. But it remains controversial in the U.S., where companies must battle the stigma associated with quotas as well as risks of unintended consequences."