This Says A Lot

Colleges and universities were required to have diversity education for their staff, but now Trump in an executive order did away with the mandatory requirements and actually bans diversity training.

Diversity Work, Interrupted
Some institutions have begun to cancel diversity, equity and inclusion programs in response to a Trump order. Critics say the order is censorship.
Inside Higher Ed
By Colleen Flaherty 
October 7, 2020


Two campuses are halting diversity efforts in relation to the White House’s recent executive order against “divisive concepts” in federally funded programs.

In a campus memo, the University of Iowa’s interim associate vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, Liz Tovar, said, “Let us state unequivocally that diversity, equity and inclusion remain as core values within our institution.” However, she continued, “after consulting with multiple entities, and given the seriousness of the penalties for non-compliance with the order, which include the loss of federal funding, we are recommending that all units temporarily pause for a two-week period.”

John A. Logan College in Illinois also suspended diversity events, including a Hispanic Heritage Month talk planned for next week.

The executive order, released Sept. 22, invokes the Declaration of Independence, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. and describes the “fundamental premises underpinning our Republic” as follows: “All individuals are created equal and should be allowed an equal opportunity under the law to pursue happiness and prosper based on individual merit.”

Yet today, the order says, “many people are pushing a different vision of America that is grounded in hierarchies based on collective social and political identities rather than in the inherent and equal dignity of every person as an individual.” Such an “ideology is rooted in the pernicious and false belief that America is an irredeemably racist and sexist country; that some people, simply on account of their race or sex, are oppressors; and that racial and sexual identities are more important than our common status as human beings and Americans.”

In his executive order he goes so far that he tells federal contractors to stop their training!

In a series of tweets he said…

A few weeks ago, I BANNED efforts to indoctrinate government employees with divisive and harmful sex and race-based ideologies. Today, I've expanded that ban to people and companies that do business…
...with our Country, the United States Military, Government Contractors, and Grantees. Americans should be taught to take PRIDE in our Great Country, and if you don’t, there’s nothing in it for you!

NPR reported,

Trump Expands Ban On Racial Sensitivity Training To Federal Contractors
September 22, 2020


President Trump on Tuesday said he had expanded a ban on racial sensitivity training to federal contractors.

His administration had instructed federal agencies to end such training earlier this month.

Trump said on Twitter on Tuesday that he had expanded the ban on "efforts to indoctrinate government employees with divisive and harmful sex and race-based ideologies" to contractors doing business with the federal government and those receiving grant funds.

"Americans should be taught to take PRIDE in our Great Country, and if you don't there's nothing in it for you!" he tweeted.
[…]
Last week, Trump announced efforts to promote "patriotic education" and railed against students learning about systemic racism.

He signed an executive order that requires contracts to now include a provision that says contractors with the federal government will not have "workplace training that inculcates in its employees any form of race or sex stereotyping or any form of race or sex scapegoating" or face the cancellation of contracts.

Notice his choice of words, “indoctrinate,” “scapegoating,” and “ideologies” and it it’s place he wants “patriotic education.” Is that what Hitler did? Didn’t he ban “Jewish” propaganda?

"Instructors and materials teaching that men and members of certain races, as well as our most venerable institutions, are inherently sexist and racist are appearing in workplace diversity trainings across the country, even in components of the Federal Government and among Federal contractors," the order says.

The trainings cited include references to white privilege and systemic racism.

This has all the schools and businesses running for cover, they have no idea what is covered by the law and what is now banned by Trump.

I do a lot of diversity training and some of it for colleges and universities will this be affected by the order? Will I have to have a lawyer review my training to make sure that I will not be arrested for “indoctrinating” the students with trans propaganda or our “agenda”?

Does this sound like what Trump has done with his Executive Order?

European Court blasts Russia 'gay propaganda' law
BBC
20 June 2017


The Strasbourg judges said Russia had discriminated against three gay rights activists who opposed the law. It was adopted in 2013, banning promotion of homosexuality among people under 18.

The law "reinforced stigma and prejudice and encouraged homophobia", the ruling said.

Gay rights groups condemned the law.

Under the law, private individuals deemed to be promoting "homosexual behaviour among minors" face fines of up to 5,000 roubles (£67; $85), while officials risk paying 10 times that amount. Businesses and schools can be fined up to 500,000 roubles.

Homosexuality was decriminalised in Russia in 1993, but anti-gay prejudice is rife.

Critics see the propaganda law as part of a state campaign to marginalise LGBT activists, whose work includes dissemination of sexual health advice.

Does Trump EO sound anything like the Russian law?