DEI Is Not The Devil. Vote With Your Wallet By Supporting Companies That Support DEI.

The latest boogeyman being demonized relentlessly by TFG and the conservative cancel culture cabal is DEI. Now, DEI, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, is simply an arrangement of ideas and philosophies by which organizations can recognize inequity at their organizations and work towards creating a more diverse workforce that is equitable and inclusive. That’s really it. It aims to ensure that more voices are heard and that qualified persons from all backgrounds have a fair opportunity. Sounds fine, right? Innocuous even. But to the radical right, anything that challenges the status quo, anything that appears to give non-white, non-cis, non-men acknowledgment or opportunity, is inherently bad. Their fragile patriarchy is so threatened by anyone who is the slightest bit different than them. We’ve seen this time and time before. With Affirmative Action, Title IX, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Equal Rights Amendment. Remember, these people are against equal rights for women.

While we all recognize that TFG's attacks on DEI are inherently racist, I think we're ignoring the subtext about how deeply racist they actually are. While DEI is intended to help organizations acknowledge shortfalls in the diversity of the workforce, improve equity, and increase inclusion, the attacks on DEI are not that they're just unfair, but that by improving these things, you're actually diluting the quality of your workforce by diversifying it. Ergo, a more diverse workforce is a less qualified workforce. Which is, of course, is utter nonsense and dangerously racist.

Yes, the most qualified applicant for a job or promotion should absolutely be considered based on skills, experience, and qualifications. DEI simply provides guidelines for applying principles equally and also helps improve diversity. There are literally mountains of evidence to support the assertion that a diverse workforce is better and more productive. But supporting diversity goes against the patriarchal need for control. It’s also an easy dog whistle to alert and enrage racists, a large part of the GOP base.

As we tread carefully into an uncertain future, it is important to keep our values front and center. One way to do so is to support good organizations and vote with your wallet. Now, I get it. Most large organizations are inherently bad. Like individual people, no one is perfect. Things like price, convenience, and location can impact your purchasing choices. What I am saying, is vote with your wallet when you can. Support companies that share or reflect your values and do not support those that don’t. Shop local. Support Black, women, LGBTQ, and other minority-owned small businesses. Let your voice be heard.

Here is a non-comprehensive list of companies that are committed to DEI initiatives.