Oregon Father’s Memorial Trek Across Country Ends in a Family’s Second Tragedy; New York Times, 10/15/13

Jack Healy, New York Times; Oregon Father’s Memorial Trek Across Country Ends in a Family’s Second Tragedy: "For nearly six months, Mr. Bell, 48, had been on the road, sharing his son’s story and trying to salve his own grief. He spoke at motorcycle rallies and college bars, schools, diners and gay-outreach centers, telling people about his sensitive, artistic son who hanged himself from a piece of playground equipment on Jan. 19... The day he died, Mr. Bell had been trying to log a few more miles before speaking at a Methodist church in Hugo, Colo. A day earlier, he and the sheriff of Lincoln County had started chatting on the side of the road, and bonded quickly as fathers of gay sons. The sheriff, Tom Nestor, set up a talk for Wednesday evening. Mr. Nestor had been planning to fetch Mr. Bell when he got word that a pedestrian had been hit along Highway 40. He raced to the scene. Mr. Bell’s cart was lying in the road. Medics were already covering his body. On Thursday, he will be remembered at a memorial service in Oregon. “I got down on one knee and put my hand on Joe’s head and said a silent prayer,” Sheriff Nestor said in an e-mail. “I only knew him for a very short time but this man had to of made a huge difference in everyone he met. He made me realize how important basic humanity still is.”"

Redskins’ Owner Stubbornly Clings to Wrong Side of History; New York Times, 10/12/13

William C. Rhoden, New York Times; Redskins’ Owner Stubbornly Clings to Wrong Side of History: "[Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder's] refusal to change an offensive name is emblematic of our society’s tendency to wrap ourselves in the armor of self-interest regardless of who might be wounded or offended. Sports has historically been a vehicle to bring us together. Increasingly, the enterprise is becoming one more tool of divisiveness. Those of us who are appealing to Snyder’s sense of ethics and morals are barking up the wrong tree. If this were about morality, Snyder would not need surveys and handpicked American Indians to validate his point. He would stand alone on principle. Snyder’s fight is an economic issue, revolving around licensing, marketing and branding. His stridency is based in money, not morality. When you follow your wallet and ignore your conscience, you’re headed for moral bankruptcy."

Redskins’ Name Change Remains Activist’s Unfinished Business; New York Times, 10/9/13

Ken Belson, New York Times; Redskins’ Name Change Remains Activist’s Unfinished Business: "Since the 1960s, Ms. Harjo has been at the center of efforts to persuade schools, colleges and professional sports teams to drop American Indian names and mascots that some consider derogatory. The fight has escalated in recent days as groups have intensified lobbying efforts and organized protests, even prompting President Obama to weigh in. The debate tends to settle on one question: how many people must be offended by a team’s name for a change to be warranted? The Redskins and the National Football League cite polling in which most respondents said they were not offended by the name, while those lobbying the team to drop its name dispute the accuracy of that data and say that no matter, the word is widely regarded as a slur. More than two-thirds of the roughly 3,000 teams with American Indian mascots have dropped them, many voluntarily and without incident. Along the way, Ms. Harjo, the director of the Morning Star Institute, a group that promotes Native American causes, became something of a godmother to the cause of eliminating disparaging mascots."

Jason Collins, Openly Gay and Still Unsigned, Waits and Wonders; New York Times, 10/10/13

Harvey Araton, New York Times; Jason Collins, Openly Gay and Still Unsigned, Waits and Wonders: "The issue of what might be a challenge for an individual team versus what is best for the league’s overall image figured to be a thorny one for the N.B.A. from the moment Collins publicly declared his intention to be the first openly gay man playing a major American team sport. (Robbie Rogers of Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy has since filled the breach.)"

Scientist or 'Whore'? Incident Symbolizes Familiar Struggle for Women of Color in Science; Chronicle of Higher Education, 10/15/13

Stacey Patton, Chronicle of Higher Education; Scientist or 'Whore'? Incident Symbolizes Familiar Struggle for Women of Color in Science: "Some scholars say Ms. Lee's treatment highlights daily battles against racism and sexism that are exacerbated by the lack of meaningful diversity in academe. If such examples are an indicator of climate, they reveal why the sciences remain disproportionately white and male. Though women's participation in doctoral programs in science has increased in the past 40 years, national data show that only small numbers of black women earn degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the STEM fields... Among the many challenges facing black women who pursue science careers are isolation, lack of mentors, limited access to financial resources, and time-consuming duties like serving as the voice of color on countless university committees and responding to media inquiries on race and gender, assignments they take on in order to challenge negative stereotypes and to demonstrate that they are "team players."

Sexual orientation added to U.S. code; Associated Press via ESPN, 10/11/13

Associated Press via ESPN; Sexual orientation added to U.S. code: "The U.S. Olympic Committee board revised its non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation, a nod to its disapproval of the Russian anti-gay law recently passed by the Olympic host country... The board passed the measure Thursday, a week after chairman Larry Probst, a new member of the International Olympic Committee, said he would support a similar change to the IOC Olympic charter. Currently, it does not mention sexual orientation as a form of discrimination. "We thought it would be good to take a look at our own code of conduct," Probst said after the USOC's quarterly board meeting. "It was the appropriate thing for us to do. It's important to us to walk the talk.""

In Russia, Every Day Should Be National Coming Out Day; HuffingtonPost.com, 10/10/13

Boris Dittrich, HuffingtonPost.com; In Russia, Every Day Should Be National Coming Out Day: "On October 11, National Coming Out Day will be celebrated in many countries of the world. That day gives lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people an opportunity to talk about their coming out. Their stories might inspire others who are still in the closet, to open the door and make a new start in life without hiding their sexual orientation or gender identity... The Russian authorities ignore that children also have the right to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas of all kinds to develop their identity and assess their health and sexuality. This includes information about homosexuality. This right is protected by article 13 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child."

A Woman to Serve on Twitter’s Board? Here Are 25; New York Times, 10/8/13

Claire Cain Miller, New York Times; A Woman to Serve on Twitter’s Board? Here Are 25: "There has been quite a kerfuffle over Twitter’s lack of gender diversity at the top, including my Saturday New York Times story about the issue and a stream of tweets in response from Dick Costolo, its chief executive. Twitter executives have said they care deeply about the issue, but have found it challenging because of the small pool of qualified technical women. And, as Mr. Costolo said on Twitter, the company does not want to appoint a woman just to check a box. I asked various tech insiders, executive recruiters and academics studying tech or corporate governance for nominations. One of them, Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld, a professor specializing in chief executive leadership and corporate governance at the Yale School of Management, said he came up with at least 20 names in 10 minutes and could easily name 20 more. As a start, here is a list of 25 women who could serve on Twitter’s board, from industries like tech, media, entertainment and advertising. Surely at least one would bring value beyond a checked box."

Accessibility Makes Incremental Gains | Reinventing Libraries; Library Journal, 10/9/13

Char Booth, Library Journal; Accessibility Makes Incremental Gains | Reinventing Libraries: "Spaces. Services. Digital content. Collections. Learning experiences. Interfaces. Any way you consider it, there is no library practice that doesn’t intersect with accessibility. Accessibility is the principle that the fullest use of any resource should be given to the greatest number of individuals. More than compliance with laws and guidelines, accessibility is a form of social justice. As the most established cultural providers of public space and digital content, libraries share a responsibility to promote universal access to our full range of services for all users, regardless of whether they rely on adaptive technology or not... The work to create inclusive libraries will never end, but small and large actions can continue to advance the cause. For those of us who don’t experience disability personally, one of the best ways to understand the importance of inclusive design is by attempting to experience the path users with different types of disabilities take through our stacks, sites, and learning materials. Try accessing and navigating an ebook or online journal article using screen-reading software or another assistive technology, engage with a video tutorial with no sound or visuals and see if you can follow the content, or accompany a patron who negotiates your library with a mobility aid such as a wheelchair or service animal. While you will not be able to experience truly their path, you will perceive why removing barriers to access of any sort should be a priority of all librarians."

Diversity and ‘Doctor Who’; New York Times, 8/6/13

Jennifer Finney Boylan, New York Times; Diversity and ‘Doctor Who’ : "Still, I suspect that some institutions continue to view diversity as they view cholesterol — there’s a good kind and a bad kind. I attended a meeting of college department heads some years ago in which I, among other campus leaders, was urged by a dean to recruit faculty members from more “underrepresented groups.” I had to ask: “What kind of diversity are we talking about? Are you really telling me you want more transgender men and women?” There was, unsurprisingly, a little ripple of laughter in the room, as if the very idea of a community needing more people like me was amusing. The dean, to his credit, said: “Yes. We want everybody.”"

Stick, Ball, Breakthrough: Adding Diversity to Lacrosse in New York City; New York Times, 9/27/13

Liz Robbins, New York Times; Stick, Ball, Breakthrough: Adding Diversity to Lacrosse in New York City: "Her children’s father, she added, was blunt when Joshua, 8, began playing last summer. “He’s like, ‘What are we putting him in lacrosse for, that’s a white person’s sport!’ ” It is a perception that still resonates in urban communities. But across New York City, the image of lacrosse is shifting. Nonprofit groups have been attracting a racially and economically diverse population to play a sport, created by Native Americans, that has long been associated with elite prep schools and colleges."

Is Your Library Plus-Size Friendly?; American Libraries, Sept./Oct. 2013

Lori L. Smith, American Libraries; Is Your Library Plus-Size Friendly? : "Most libraries are conscientious about providing accessible facilities and services tailored to specific populations, yet some forget the needs of their plus-size patrons. Make room for plus-size patrons.More than one-third of US adults and nearly 17% of children and adolescents were obese in 2009–2010, according to a January 2012 data brief from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. Those numbers mean that every public service facility in the country—including libraries—should be prepared to meet the needs of plus-size patrons... The obesity epidemic is unlikely to go away anytime soon. In the meantime, libraries should continue their long tradition of offering a warm, welcoming space to people of all ages, races, shapes, and sizes."

The Log Cabin Republican; New York Times, 9/28/13

Frank Bruni, New York Times; The Log Cabin Republican: "The university president, Karen Whitney, said that the warm reception she and her partner had received in their community had convinced her that a big part of progress in rural America depended on gays and lesbians showing up, sticking around, weaving themselves in. “People meet you and they don’t immediately change their stereotypes, but they do have to adjust,” she said. That’s what Fleck is hoping for and counting on, an adjustment. If it proves to be too much to ask and he’s defeated in the primary next May, he said he would nonetheless feel that he had accomplished something, noting that many closeted gay men in rural Pennsylvania had sought him out for counsel. He recalled one in particular. “I had a Mennonite drive two hours to my house to ask if I thought he could still go to heaven,” Fleck told me. Before last December, that man wouldn’t have known where to turn. He wouldn’t have found an ear and solace in an overgrown log cabin on Fleck Road."

It's another bad week to be gay; Guardian, 9/27/13

Nancy Goldstein, Guardian; It's another bad week to be gay: "Sometimes it really does suck to be gay. In addition to the usual hard work – the recruiting of innocents, the destruction of the institution of marriage, compulsory brunch – there's been an unusually high volume of international bigotry and bad news to put up with this week."

Gay senior seeks University of Pittsburgh Homecoming King title; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/22/13

Mackenzie Carpenter, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Gay senior seeks University of Pittsburgh Homecoming King title: "With the help of a counselor, he made the decision to reveal his sexual orientation -- something that was completely accepted by members of his fraternity Sigma Chi, "a real brotherhood," he said. In fact, Sigma Chi's president, Andrew Hansen, was the first to suggest that Mr. Patton run for Homecoming King. As president of the school's Fraternity Council, Mr. Patton, who is majoring in philosophy and communications, hopes his candidacy will also send a message that fraternities are inclusive places -- "not the stereotype out of 'Animal House,' " he said."

Bob Moritz, on How to Learn About Diversity; New York Times, 9/14/13

Adam Bryant, Corner Office, New York Times; Interview with Bob Moritz, chairman and senior partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers: Bob Moritz, on How to Learn About Diversity: "In my sixth year, I went off to Japan for a couple of years. It was amazingly difficult, and it taught me big lessons that I actually have developed into a leadership style. Q. Please walk me through them. A. First, it taught me about diversity. Over there, I was the minority. I was the guy outside of the circle. I couldn’t speak the language. I was the guy who was discriminated against. So it gave me a different perspective of diversity, and it influenced the diversity agenda we have now. The second thing it taught me was about diversity of thought and cultural diversity. In Japan, you respect titles. You respect age. And you don’t challenge authority. If you’re going to do your job in Japan, how can you ask challenging questions to get the right answers without making people feel threatened? In the role I’ve got today, diversity of thought is hugely important. How do you get people to understand global business practices and do it in a way so that people feel good and not threatened? How do you set that tone and that environment?"

Russia Is Persuaded to Alter Statement to Call for Inclusion; New York Times, 9/14/13

Mary Pilon, New York Times; Russia Is Persuaded to Alter Statement to Call for Inclusion: "The controversy was over a rough draft of the truce that mentioned a promise to include “people of different age, sex, physical capacity, religion, race and social status,” according to documents reviewed by The New York Times. It made no mention of gay or transgender people, a particularly sensitive omission given the uproar in the West over a Russian law that has been criticized as antigay. United Nations representatives from around the world spent weeks pushing Russia to amend the language to include gay people, according to interviews with representatives from eight countries. This week, after extensive negotiations behind the scenes, Russia altered the truce’s language to say that it would “promote social inclusion without discrimination of any kind.”"

Homophobia and Hip-Hop: A Confession Breaks a Barrier; New York Times, 9/13/13

Jon Caramanica, New York Times; Homophobia and Hip-Hop: A Confession Breaks a Barrier: "Mister Cee’s confession comes in the middle of a stretch that has seen the gradual easing of hip-hop’s internalized homophobia. Over the last couple of years Frank Ocean, the soul singer and affiliate of the hip-hop crew Odd Future, openly discussed his love for a man; ASAP Rocky and Kanye West have loudly disavowed homophobia (though Rocky visibly struggled at the MTV Video Music Awards when put on stage next to the openly gay basketball player Jason Collins), and Jay-Z voiced his support for marriage equality. This reflects a generational shift in attitudes, a slight class shift in hip-hop’s mainstream, as well as a broadening of hip-hop’s fan base. Anti-gay sentiment has long played a part in hip-hop, but as hip-hop becomes more central to pop culture, its values are evolving. A decade ago this scenario would have probably been unthinkable. But there was Mr. Darden assuring Mister Cee, “There’s nothing wrong with being who you are,” and at one point encouraging him by exclaiming, “You’re free, Cee!”"

A Few Takes On How To Fix The Tech Industry's 'Bro' Problem; NPR, 9/13/13

Elise Hu, NPR; A Few Takes On How To Fix The Tech Industry's 'Bro' Problem: "The tech industry's sometimes sexist "brogrammer" culture came into focus at least , making it as good a time as any to highlight the running conversation about how to constructively change the systemic, entrenched issues that allow for offensive apps like Titstare, which was presented at a tech industry hackathon."

Class Is Seen Dividing Harvard Business School; New York Times, 9/9/13

Jodi Kantor, New York Times; Class Is Seen Dividing Harvard Business School: "Is class a more divisive issue at Harvard Business School than gender?"