28 Jan 2022

Diversity Lens - Issue 111

Diversity Lens - Issue 133 Diversity Lens - Issue 132 Diversity Lens - Issue 131

Jan 28

Diversity Lens - Issue 111

Welcome to Diversity Lens.

Have you done today's Wordle yet? Yes, we've been sucked in too...

It's the latest online trend, but there is something particularly unifying about the daily word puzzle. We all start on the same footing, scrambling to guess a five letter word, perhaps questioning our grasp of the English language when we're still struggling an hour later. Yes, it's a fad that we'll probably collectively forget about in a month, but for now it feels nice to all be distracted by the same, penetrable problem for a moment every day.

"The UK has been condemned for ‘dehumanising’ trans people"Dazed

Two people at protest hold placard painted with trans inclusive pride flag, writing reads

“Today’s resolution from the Council of Europe has exposed the ‘extensive and often virulent’ onslaught on LGBTQ+ civil rights happening across the continent – and sees the UK condemned as a country of concern.”

A report published on Tuesday by the Parliamentary Assembly singles out the UK among several European countries that are threatening advances to LGBTQIA+ rights.

“Highly prejudicial anti-gender, gender-critical and anti-trans narratives” are cited by the report, with highly damaging effects on queer people, as well as “social cohesion” as a whole.

Among the other countries singled out are Russia and Hungary. “The significant advances achieved in recent years are today under threat,” the report warns, pushing the UK into dangerous territory.

Vice News data showed a 210% increase in reports of sexual orientation hate crimes between 2014 and 2021; for trans hate crime, this rises drastically to 332%. Furthermore, 64% of all queer people in the UK have experienced anti-LGBTQIA+ abuse.

This spike is linked inextricably to the “complicit media” and “anti-trans propaganda”, whose influence cannot be understated when considering the current hostility facing trans people in the UK today.

Text: IN OTHER NEWS. Background image shows picture of protestors.

Groundbreaking work on slave economy finally back on UK shelves

Image of Trinidad and Tobago president, Dr Eric Williams in 1961

Eric Williams, a young Black scholar, produced a thesis on the economic history of the British empire in 1938. When Williams, who would go on to become Trinidad and Tobago's first prime minister, attempted to publish his "mind-blowing" thesis, he was rejected by publishers and accused of "undermining the humanitarian purpose for the Slavery Abolition Act". 84 years after his work was rejected in the UK, and 78 years after it was originally published in America where it became a hugely significant anti-colonial classic, a new version of his book, Capitalism and Slavery, will be published in the UK.

"I think it’s amazing he hasn’t been published until now, because you can’t really make sense of Britain’s involvement in transatlantic slavery without reading his book"

The charity Queer Britain is due to open the UK's first LGBTQIA+ museum in King's Cross this year. The museum will include four galleries, a workshop, and gift shop, with plans of showcasing an outfit worn by Olly Alexander, historical documents and transgender portraits, amongst more. Director and co-founder Joseph Galliano believes the museum will "send a strong signal about people being valued". Galliano wants the museum to remain free to enter, saying “I would be heartbroken if any young queer person or any person at all couldn’t get in and engage with what we’re working on because they didn’t have the money.”

'Something has changed': young, female-led Cabinet reflects Chile's modern twist

Chile's latest Cabinet reflects the changing face of the country. 14 out of the 24 ministers are women, with seven of the Cabinet under the age of 40. President-elect Gabriel Boric is amongst this younger contingency, who will be 36-years-old when he takes office in March. Juan Gabriel Valdes, a former foreign minister, tweeted two photos, one highlighting the incoming diverse cabinet vs the 1990 all-male government captioned: "Something has changed".

Text: ENTER THE WORK SPHERE. Background image shows picture of protestors.

Many companies are struggling to recruit and hold on to staff due to an unusually high rate of Brits quitting their jobs. New data shows that "the level of open vacancies is the highest on record". In November, a record 4.5 million resigned in the US. Meanwhile, TikTok saw the hashtag #IQuitMyJob generate over 46 million views. We're now seeing businesses look outside the box in order to attract employees, and keep them as well. Early signs show that a scale back on flexible working patterns will not be tolerated by candidates.

Ministers tell jobseekers to look for jobs in any sector after four weeks or face benefits sanctions

Job seekers on universal credit will now be forced to search outside of their preferred job sector after just four weeks, instead of the previous three months. This controversial move forms part of the government’s plan to get jobseekers back into work, any work. A Liberal Democrats spokesperson called the change “callous” and warns of a “cycle of unemployment” from “insecure short-term employment” which could follow the drastic policy change.