Adventures in Comics and the Real World; New York Times, March 26, 2017

George Gene Gustines, New York Times; 

Adventures in Comics and the Real World

"America Chavez, a Latina and lesbian superhero, saves an alien planet, enrolls at Sotomayor University and punches Adolf Hitler in the first issue of her new Marvel comic book series. But what’s being celebrated as most fantastic in this comic is that Gabby Rivera, a young-adult author who is gay and Latina herself, is writing the adventures of America.

While the comic book industry has been making great strides in its efforts to reflect the real world in its characters, the same has not always been true of their creators, who have typically been straight, white and male. But the ratio of representation continues to change."

Uber Needs To Do Better When It Comes To Diversity; Huffington Post, March 28, 2017

Ryan Grenoble, Huffington Post; 

Uber Needs To Do Better When It Comes To Diversity

"After years of keeping its diversity data hidden away, Uber released its first diversity report Tuesday, under the direction of its new Chief Human Resources Officer Liane Hornsey.

The report revealed that Uber employees are mostly white and mostly male, especially at the more senior levels of the company. A full 78 percent of Uber’s workers at the director level or above are men, and 76.7 percent of the company leadership is white.

Tuesday’s disclosure is part of a concerted PR effort to right the ship at the company after a series of scandals. Uber has faced allegations of rampant sexual harassment from former employees; a high-profile lawsuit that contends Uber stole trade secrets from a Google-founded competitor; numerous high-profile departures; and a video showing CEO Travis Kalanick telling off a driver.

“​This report is a first step in showing that diversity and inclusion is a priority at Uber,” Kalanick said in a statement. “I know that we have been too slow in publishing our numbers — and that the best way to demonstrate our commitment to change is through transparency.”"

As Uber Grew Hastily, Diversity Took a Backseat; Bloomberg, March 24, 2017

Olivia Zaleski and Eric Newcomer, Bloomberg; 

As Uber Grew Hastily, Diversity Took a Backseat

"Efforts to hire more women and people of color at Uber Technologies Inc. have been long hindered by a peculiar constraint. Members of the recruiting team were denied access to information about the company’s diversity makeup, according to several people familiar with Uber’s hiring apparatus."

A Wheelchair on Broadway Isn’t Exploitation. It’s Progress.; New York Times, March 24, 2017

Neil Genzlinger, New York Times; 

A Wheelchair on Broadway Isn’t Exploitation. It’s Progress.

"Sometimes, what seems a cheesy gimmick or instance of exploitation is really just the front edge of needed change. Some theatergoers were probably outraged the first time a black Juliet was cast against a white Romeo. Did that change how some of Shakespeare’s lines registered and imbue the play with new meanings? Sure. Is race-blind casting now widely accepted and the theatergoing experience richer for it? Yes."

Oregon Shakespeare Festival Season Includes a Same-Sex ‘Oklahoma!’; New York Times, March 19, 2017

Ryan Burleson, New York Times; 

Oregon Shakespeare Festival Season Includes a Same-Sex ‘Oklahoma!’

"“We in leadership positions,” Bill Rauch, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s artistic director, told The New York Times in 2015, “need to do everything we can to reflect the world we live in.”

On Friday, Mr. Rauch and his colleagues continued that push when announcing the festival’s 2018 season, which features a record five plays by women — there are 11 in total — and a production of “Oklahoma!” that has same-sex couples in leading roles. This seven-month series also offers deep explorations of Native American and African-American history."

A Blind Theatergoer's 'Hamilton' Lawsuit Aims Spotlight On Broadway Accessibility; NPR, March 14, 2017

Jeff Lunden, NPR; 

A Blind Theatergoer's 'Hamilton' Lawsuit Aims Spotlight On Broadway Accessibility

""I think what this suit brings to light is that you have a hidden population out there that is not gaining the full access to Broadway," says attorney Scott Dinin, who is representing Lasser in the class-action suit against the show's producers and theater owner...

"Certainly once a show sets up a sustained run — and when we look at musicals that run five, 10, 15, 20 years — it really is a very small price to pay for opening up a show to a much, much wider audience," Sherman says.

That's really what Dinin, Lasser's attorney, is trying to say with this legal action. He is not seeking damages for his client — he can't, under the terms of the ADA. He is trying to make sure that theater becomes more inclusive, by spotlighting the problem, using Broadway's biggest hit.

"Audio description is so necessary," Dinin says. "It's the right thing to do. It's not that expensive. And it's just a thinking process. It's a mindset. We have to get a mindset: How do we increase inclusion? It should be top-of-mind. Equality, accommodation and respect. Because once people put that at the decision-making table, all the services will flow from that.""

Another Wave of Jewish Center Bomb Threats Prompts All 100 Senators to Ask White House to Do More; Slate, March 7, 2017

Elliot Hannon, Slate; 

Another Wave of Jewish Center Bomb Threats Prompts All 100 Senators to Ask White House to Do More

"Despite condemnations and appeals from all corners, another round of bomb threats were made against Jewish community centers across the United States late Monday night and into Tuesday, forcing lockdowns and evacuations. The threats were emailed and phoned in to community centers, schools, synagogues, and offices across at least eight states and Washington, D.C. The New York, Washington, Boston, and Atlanta offices of the Anti-Defamation League were also targeted, according to the organization.

The latest wave of threats prompted the entirety of the United States Senate—all 100 senators—to sign on to a letter urging the Trump administration to provide federal assistance to combat the spike in threats of violence. “These cowardly acts aim to create an atmosphere of fear and disrupt the important programs and services offered by JCCs to everyone in the communities they serve, including in our states,” the letter reads. “We encourage you to communicate with individual JCCs, the JCC Association of North America, Jewish Day Schools, Synagogues and other Jewish community institutions regarding victim assistance, grant opportunities or other federal assistance that may be available to enhance security measures and improve preparedness.”"

THEATER REFUSES TO SCREEN BEAUTY AND THE BEAST DUE TO GAY CHARACTER; Comic Book Resources, March 3, 2017

Stephen Gerding, Comic Book Resources; THEATER REFUSES TO SCREEN BEAUTY AND THE BEAST DUE TO GAY CHARACTER

"A drive-in theater in Alabama has decided not to screen Disney’s live-action “Beauty and the Beast” following the revelation that one of the film’s characters is gay.

Henagar Drive-In Theatre made the announcement on Facebook in the wake of news that Josh Gad’s character, LeFou, would be the first openly gay character to feature in a Disney film.

Henagar’s new owner took announced the decision, citing their religious beliefs as the reason the drive-in will opt not to screen the movie. “When companies continually force their views on us we need to take a stand. We all make choices and I am making mine,” the owner wrote. “For those that do not know Beauty and the Beast is ‘premiering’ their first homosexual character."

We’re Thinking About Organizational Culture All Wrong; Harvard Business Review, January 6, 2017

John Traphagan, Harvard Business Review; 

We’re Thinking About Organizational Culture All Wrong

"Some research has found that rather than making everyone feel included, praising diversity can make some people feel singled out or threatened. It’s not simple.

And this brings us to an important point: The attempt to unify an organization by creating a “culture” is ultimately an exercise of power. People will react to that expression of power in different ways depending on the extent to which the values associated with the organizational culture resonate with their personal beliefs.

Fundamentally, a culture is not a set of (marginally) shared values; it’s a web of power relationships in which people are embedded and that they use to meet both personal and collective goals but that can also restrict their ability to achieve goals. Those power relationships can function to pull people together, but they also can pull them apart because they are the product of differential access to resources. And differences in power influence how we respond to and think about values espoused as being shared by members of a group.

Reliance on culture as a way to create unity can mislead those in positions of power into thinking that the core values expressed by the organization are actually uncritically accepted by employees."

Uber’s CEO says ‘I need leadership help.’ What should it look like?; Washington Post, March 1, 2017

Jena McGregor, Washington Post; Uber’s CEO says ‘I need leadership help.’ What should it look like?

""When you are seen as somebody who is damaged, you have to find religion" and make substantial changes, said Bob Sutton, a professor at Stanford University who wrote a widely read book on uncivil workplaces called "The No A--hole Rule." He believes Kalanick needs a coach and "he needs to find some humility."...

For Uber, it could take time. "Frankly, fixing the culture of a company is an extremely complex, long-term endeavor, and you usually want to do it with the goose that laid the golden egg," said Nicholas Donatiello, a management lecturer at Stanford University. "It is not unusual for fast-growing, entrepreneurial companies to find themselves with cultures that have been double-edged swords for them. The culture that may help a company get to the point where Uber is may not be the culture to take Uber forward.""

Losing a Fortune Often Comes Down to One Thing: Family; Scott James, February 19, 2017

Scott James, New York Times; 

Losing a Fortune Often Comes Down to One Thing: Family

"Heirs are not automatically qualified, competent or visionary leaders, Dr. McGerr said, and when power is passed solely from fathers to sons, those who might better manage an empire — like women family members or outsiders — are excluded.

While Ms. Stroh was being taught how to avoid being kidnapped, the men in her generation were being groomed to lead the company. “It would have been discouraged if a girl in the family had shown some ambition for a role like that,” she said.

Today, Ms. Stroh is a successful businesswoman. Now 50, she lives in San Francisco, and took a relatively modest inheritance of about $200,000 in stocks from her mother and made savvy investments in tech companies and real estate. As a small-time developer and landlord, she is able to live independently in one of the nation’s most expensive cities."

Breitbart News filed for trademark rights to term 'Big Gay Hate Machine' under Steve Bannon leadership; New York Daily News, February 28, 2017

Adam Edelman, New York Daily News; 

Breitbart News filed for trademark rights to term 'Big Gay Hate Machine' under Steve Bannon leadership

"Alt-right news website Breitbart, under the leadership of Stephen Bannon, filed to acquire the trademark rights to the term "Big Gay Hate Machine,” documents obtained by the Daily News show.

Breitbart News filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark the offensive term on May 20, 2015, according to records from the office...

The application for the trademark was abandoned on March 4, 2016 and the right to the trademark on the term was forfeited."