28 Aug 2020

Diversity Lens - Issue 41

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

Aug 28

Diversity Lens - Issue 41

Diversity Lens

In a rush? In this week's Diversity Lens we celebrate activists: the queer suffragists, the Polish LGBTQ+ community, and a BLM organiser making history. We also take a look at the dangers of colour-blind casting, an iconic transgender fundraiser, and an introduction to British Sign Language. Keep scrolling for more insights this week.

Latest News

The queer suffragists who fought for women’s right to vote
For the anniversary of a large portion of women securing the right to vote, we take a look at the queer suffragists who made up a large proportion of the activists fighting for equality. Although these women wouldn't have identified with modern terms today, many suffragists were what we would now identify as queer, gender fluid, or transgender. Scholars have dedicated study into this specific area and concluded that it was due largely to these queer desires that propelled their movement forward, seeking autonomy and "freedom of expression".

Read time: 8 minutes

'It's dangerous not to see race': is colour-blind casting all it's cracked up to be?
Armando Iannucci’s Dickens adaptation, The Personal History of David Copperfield, was cast colour-blind – "a practice whereby race isn’t specified or overtly considered during the casting process". Colour-blind casting in theory should lead to better representation on screen, however journalist Diep Tran warns it could be as dangerous as saying 'I don't see race'. The structural inequity in the industry needs to be recognised he argues, not ignored. Instead, critics are increasingly favouring a "colour conscious" casting method, actively acknowledging ethnicity. In this approach, race is an intentional part of the conversation in order to benefit the story.

Read time: 6 minutes

First-ever Tour de Trans sees cyclists take on 1,000 mile challenge to help empower transgender people everywhere
From Land’s End in Cornwall to John O’Groats in Scotland, the iconic cycle route traces the entire length of Britain. The route, attempted by thousands every year, sees the Tour de Trans kick off this year with non-binary person, Pateon McGuire, and their 17-year-old son, Callum. They are fundraising for trans-support charity Chrysalis and aim to raise awareness for trans issues, using the hashtag #AcrossBritainAcrossGenders. “The response and the support that we’ve received from the larger LGBT+ community has been nothing short of fantastic,” Pateon says. Support the Tour de Trans, click the image below.

Read time: 4 minutes

Diversity and Inclusion Insights

This pandemic is an opportunity to learn from the disability community.
The working world has adapted quickly to the demands of Covid-19 and new ways of working are being embraced as the 'new normal'. But why did it take a pandemic to prompt this much-need change to our working structures? While many in the disability community are now "revelling in the new ways of working" - less commuting, flexibility of hours, online meetings - it is little consolation to those who have lost out on work for their entire lives due to the rigid lack of accessibility options. Yet there is hope that we will learn from this change and finally pay attention to the needs of the disability community, as invaluable members of the working world.

Read time: 4 minutes

A new study shows what minorities think of their employers’ inclusion efforts now
Owing largely to the disruption of the pandemic on our working lives, companies have been forced to recognise the human needs of their staff; the need to look after a child, care for a relative, or take a mental health day. In a recent study, the majority of employees felt that both the pandemic and the BLM movement had improved D&I efforts, yet minority groups were less likely to think so. Further findings reveal that only 2% of white employees felt there was racial inequality in their company, compared to 15% of Black employees. These statistics reveal the urgent need to listen to the non-majority experience.
Read time: 5 minutes

Story of the Week

Polish Stonewall: activists on the LGBTQ+ revolution happening right now
The latest wave of ongoing Polish LGBTQ+ protests has been intensified by the arrest of non-binary activist Margot Szutowicz. Margot is 22-years-old and co-founder of a queer collective. Protestors took to the street to protest their arrest with chants of “you will not lock all of us up”, and a further 48 protesters were detained. The protests, dubbed the Polish Stonewall, have been in full force for months, most recently following the re-election of anti-LGBTQ+ president Andrzej Duda, and the implementation of “LGBTQ+-free zones”. Click the photo below to hear from the Polish activists at the heart of the fight.

Read time: 7 minutes

Featured Video

Learn Simple Signs & Sentences in BSL for Customer Service
Dan goes through some simple sign language you can use for communicating with deaf customers on a daily basis. His instruction is very clear and informative for beginners. Knowing just a few signs can make a big difference in your everyday life! Watch the video below to make the start.

Learn how to sign simple but essential words such as 'hello', 'welcome' and 'help'.

Inspirational Person of the Week

Meet Liza Bilal, an organiser behind Bristol's history-making BLM protest
21-year-old Liza is responsible for mobilising thousands of protestors back in June to march through Bristol in response to the killing of George Floyd. This protest, which culminated at Bristol harbour, led to the toppling of the Edward Colston statue, criticised for years due to Colston's involvement in the slave trade. Statues around the world started to be torn from plinths and action demanded against the celebration of these racist figures. Liza had a traumatic experience growing up, moving to Bristol from South Sudan as a baby and facing discrimination as a dark skinned woman. Read more about Liza's story and how she was able to lead a city in protest - click the photo below.

Read time: 4 minutes