11 Jun 2022

Diversity Lens - Issue 128

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

Welcome to Diversity Lens.

Happy Pride season!

For some, it's the annual pinkwashing period. We can definitely sympathise with pride fatigue among the LGBTQIA+ community and its inescapable consumerist ties. This year is no different in some respects, but we also think that the time when a large corporation could slap a rainbow on their logo and be done with it are over. We see through this tokenism a mile away and brands will be held accountable, at least within the social media courtroom. How are you supporting your LGBTQIA+ colleagues, we ask? How are you profiting off of your Pride month activity?

TV: Ms. Marvel

Introducing Marvel Comics’ first Muslim superhero to headline their own TV series. 16-year-old Kamala Khan, brought to life by Iman Vellani, takes on this exciting new responsibility. Ms. Marvel follows a number of successful Disney TV series such as Loki and WandaVision. The new show puts a large amount of focus on Kamala's Pakistani Muslim family, appreciating their culture - traditional outfits, parathas for breakfast - whilst also being widely relatable. Episode one is out now on Disney+.

"The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard

trial was used as an excuse to discredit

women and tout misogyny"
Glamour Magazine

"It will have a devastating effect on survivors, who will be silenced, now, with the knowledge that they cannot speak about their violent experiences at men’s hands without the threat of a ruinous libel suit."

The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial was truly a wild ride. If you weren't following the televised proceedings closely, you'll still surely have heard snippets, and very likely to the negative effect of Heard.

The domestic abuse evidence that came out against Depp some months ago was of the most deplorable nature. When Heard was published in an article detailing her experience of abuse, albeit not naming Depp as her perpetrator, Depp sued for defamation of character. The jury awarded him $15m in damages.

However, the outcome of the case is not the central issue here. The first point of contention is why and how such a high-profile and sensitive domestic abuse trial was televised (livestreamed!) at all. Secondly, the response that the media coverage invoked was truly outrageous, and ultimately indicative of the misogyny that is still rampant in our society today.

Amber Heard has been met with overwhelming contempt from the public. Indeed, it was hard to see any other commentary on the case that wasn't fuelled by vitriol for Heard. Her testimony, a raw account of the abuse she claimed, went viral on TikTok, 'memeified' and parodied heartlessly. We have seen the worst of TikTok in the last couple weeks.

Yet the cruelty directed at Heard is emblematic of a wider, more concerning feeling that has been gaining traction in recent years. A feeling that dictates that women are in fact not to be believed, that this whole #MeToo thing has gone too far. Such collective victim-blaming of Heard does indeed feel like a relic from a pre-#MeToo past, but is in fact a current moment of virulent antifeminist backlash.

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

The Insta-race gap: are Black influencers being paid less?

The pay gap between white and BIPOC influencers was 29 percent in 2021, according to global marketing agency MSL. Another report by SevenSix, showed 56% of black respondents believe their ethnicity has a negative impact on their earnings.

There have been numerous instances of black influencers being exploited and lowballed. Influencer Atim Ojera, for example, was approached by a brand and asked to share ten posts in exchange for gifts, whereas a white counterpart was offered £20,000 for the same collaboration. After conversing with other black creators, she realised that their experience was unfortunately not uncommon. MPs have suggested that the influencing industry's standards be investigated.

"A big reason why I went into an agency was to be a voice and show people who look like me that there is a way forward.”

Peter Tatchell explains why police should be banned from Pride marches

The controversy over police at Pride has raged for years, with no prospect of a resolution, but Tatchell believes that allowing uniformed officers to march in Pride when their forces have "racist, misogyny, and homophobia" concerns is a problem. In 1972, Peter Tatchell was one of the first to attend London's first Pride march. Then, the event was highly policed and attendees were subjected to "open" police abuse. Tatchell wants Pride to return to its roots, to be organised by and for the LGBTQIA+ community. He welcomes officers who are willing to march in plain clothes rather than their police uniforms.

"We need to ensure that [Pride] is properly funded, but not at the expense of letting corporates dominate"

Martin Lewis: ‘The link between money problems and mental health problems is just so strong’

The UK is witnessing its fastest inflation in 40 years. Martin Lewis, widely regarded as the nation's finance guru, discusses the relationship between money and our mental health.
"Mental health and finances have a symbiotic relationship," he explains, meaning "financial troubles can exacerbate or cause mental health problems."

Lewis founded the Money and Health Policy Institute in 2016 to conduct research and develop policies to remove the harmful link between mental health and debt. According to one of their studies, more than half of those who had bailiffs at their door have mental health issues. The institute has helped raise funds for face-to-face debt counselling and has prevented the most distressing debt collector letters from being issued to the most vulnerable clients.

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

For Majority of LGBTQ Workers, an Inclusive Environment Is Make or Break

Employees prefer workplace cultures that allow for identification and self-expression, according to a recent survey by LinkedIn and YouGov of 2,000 LGBTQIA+ workers. If their company did not speak out against discrimination, 36% stated they would leave their current position. The poll findings come at a time when more people are concerned about a future recession, and more people are quitting their jobs. Seven out of ten rely on such organisations to provide them with a sense of belonging, especially important given the persistence of job discrimination.

"Companies must see LGBTQ+ rights as a crucial business problem, taking a stand and establishing spaces of belonging for their employees"

#worktok: The surge of venting about the worst of work

Has the banter of after work drinks been replaced by TikTok parodies? Poking fun at corporate work culture occupies a large space on the platform, characterised by #WorkTok. The videos share relatable content about colleagues, bosses and work environments, but also expose outdated and inane workplace practices. In this medium, a new generation of workers are "collectively re-evaluating long-standing norms". At a time when the way we work is in a state of flux, these tiktoks could have more currency than just humorous content. Hot topics like disconnecting after work, dealing with micromanagement, and red flags in job interviews are all under the microscope.

Have you checked out our TikTok channel yet?