I’ve stated in many blogs that our head office is near a city with a large non-white population so we have a larger non-white workforce than most companies. As a Software Developer, the Development team is mostly male, but managerial positions are often held by women. I’ve never observed a need to change the natural status quo with forced diversity practices.

The “woke” movement talks about diversity and being welcoming to everyone. In practice, it is unachievable to be welcoming to literally everyone because people will naturally have different opinions and some of these can be opposing.

So a much quoted example; there can be religions that will be against homosexuality, so how can you be welcoming to both the LGBT community, and people from those religions?

I find it bizarre that you constantly get told that we need to “create safe spaces” for people, “all people are welcome”, but then at the same time there’s certain views that aren’t tolerated or frowned upon by the people that want such DEI practices. I find most people I meet claim to be left-leaning politically and they seem to have a hatred for right-leaning politicians.

It’s contradictory, but then the constant messaging and certain phrases are basically propaganda and gaslighting. 

I’ve seen some people liken this behaviour to cults. Where there’s strict rules; and deviating from the opinion of the leader (and therefore the group) means you are cast out. The repetition of phrases means you are constantly aware of the belief and because you hear it so much, then you don’t question it because you just accept it as true. Anyone beginning to question things is discouraged. 

There was one recent post about “Allyship” where an ally is defined: 

 “as someone who is not a member of a marginalised group but wants to support and take action to help others in that group’’  

Then it was sold as:

 “Being an ally, in both the workplace and your personal lives, broadens our understanding of all cultures and backgrounds. Removing boundaries to give way to respect and friendship creates security, a sense of belonging and allows everyone to be their authentic selves. We wholeheartedly believe in the importance of embracing and welcoming everyone and providing a place of equity and inclusion for everyone to thrive. To create a place of security and belonging”

 Then the usual propaganda phrases were used

 “are a safe space for individuals to express themselves” 

 How to be an ally
Educate yourself and others.
Be careful not to ask intrusive questions. Personal information is a privilege
Everyone makes mistakes. Be accountable for your mistake, educate yourself to make an active change

This is quite culty isn’t it. Telling people they are wrong and need to conform to the belief. Don’t question it.

Safe Christmas

Another recent post talked about creating safe spaces for Christmas. Why would anyone feel unsafe at Christmas? absolute mental. We are just making up issues now. 

In celebration of Christmas, we have issued our 2nd North and South Conversation. The North and South initiative creates a safe space for colleagues in the UK and Chennai to share stories and ask questions, building a sense of knowledge and togetherness through the art of video and conversation. It is important that everyone at work feels comfortable being their authentic selves. We have a clear goal dedicated to just this: creating a supportive, inclusive environment where everybody can thrive, both doing and being their best.

Safe space, authentic selves.

Stickers

When I have walked around in my neighbourhood I have occasionally seen stickers placed on pedestrian crossings, lamposts, or electrical boxes. Some have been political in nature, but mostly have been pro-trans.  I thought it was somewhat ironic when one guy posts a blog at work about “dogwhistles”.

The claim was that he had seen “negative stickers that are currently in circulation in public spaces which may cause negative and unwanted feelings in the LGBTQ+ community. “

The reasons people can do this was: 

• To make the kinds of people they dislike know they are unwelcome and that the place is unsafe for them. 
• To send a positive message to people who believe in the same thing as them, through symbols the wider public might not know. This is sometimes called a “dog whistle”, named after whistles that dogs can hear but people can’t. 
• To shift people from a more general form of discomfort to more extreme reactionary views.

Could a reason why there are anti-trans stickers to counter the pro-trans stickers? The constant pushing of what the correct narrative to believe will naturally create counter action; which means these “dog-whistles” are necessary to show there are people with the opposite opinion.

Are both types of stickers “dog-whistles”, or is it just the ones he doesn’t like?

The offensive stickers he had seen were “against trans women using women’s toilets”, “single sex facility – women only”, and “Protect women-only spaces”. 

These are mainly feminist slogans which was a relevant political movement when I was growing up. Why is feminism not a valid thing to support now?  I find it strange that the biggest allyship these days is from young women, so it’s like they are fighting against what the previous generation of women fought for.

As expected, all the comments were agreeing to conform. You cannot have diverse views on any topic in the name of diversity.

“Thank you for sharing, I didn’t know about this… sending support to those who suffer through this “

Psychological safety

One manager suddenly started going on about “psychological safety”. The usual “safe space”, “inclusive”, “authentic selves” propaganda has been used:

“We believe that fostering a supportive and secure environment is essential for our collective growth and harmony. To ensure that everyone feels comfortable, valued, and heard, we are conducting a brief survey about psychological safety in our teams.

Your honest feedback is very important to us. By sharing your thoughts, you will help us understand how we can enhance our work culture and create an even better experience for all. The survey is anonymous, and your responses will be kept confidential. Your insights are invaluable in helping us build a stronger, more inclusive team. 

This week, organisations up and down the UK will be celebrating National Inclusion Week. It is an opportunity to reflect and highlight inclusivity in workplaces.   

 We wholeheartedly believe in the importance of embracing all cultures, welcoming everyone and providing a safe place of equity, inclusion and belonging for people to thrive.”