In what feels like a shocking reversal or progress when it comes to schools, workplaces, and various governmental organizations, the concept of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has turned into a weapon against the various people it was meant to protect.
Conservative politicians, including President Donald Trump, have complained that policies that support people from diverse backgrounds in ways that promote equity and inclusion are actually discriminatory and illegal.
Although the ending of DEI policies may seem to be a small problem compared to other issues going on in the world right now, the ending of these protections is having negative effects on the everyday lives of all Americans, including students and staff at Akins.
We feel DEI is very important at our school, Akins is supposed to be a safe place that accepts anybody regardless of their race, sexuality, or preferred gender. Ever since society started to focus on DEI and implement it into schools and workplaces, many lawmakers in Texas have been retaliating against it. Thus, a ban was instated recently.
The DEI policies matter a lot for the students at Akins. There are many programs and events that used to happen at our school that relied on DEI. We had a club called the GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance), which was a safe space for LGBTQ students and allies.
Unfortunately, due to the ban, the club has been canceled starting this year. Many students saw the GSA as a safe environment where they could make friends without any hatred or discrimination. This is now not possible here at Akins, and it’s very upsetting for them.
Many politicians in the state of Texas are against DEI because it is against their beliefs. One, for example, is the author of Senate Bill 12, Senator Brandon Creighton, who has stated many times that it’s a waste of taxpayer dollars to keep on funding these DEI programs. Many Republicans share that opinion, saying the money used for DEI could be put into “more important” endeavors in our schools. SB 12 is a wide-ranging law that went into effect on Sept. 1, which outlaws many forms of DEI policies in public schools.
Sherry Sylvester, a fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, says, “DEI is an attempt to undermine what America is and how we see ourselves; It divides us. It divides us by part of our history– not all of our history. Other critics of DEI say it is “divisive” or “exclusionary”, and some even compare it to actual racism.
The ACLU has launched a lawsuit against the law that went into effect in September. The ACLU states that the law violates the rights of students and teachers. They argue that the ban is censoring students’ and teachers’ viewpoints. We feel that it’s good that the ACLU is taking action because the law really does violate the rights that the people of our country fought for. Some teachers are even losing their jobs because of their thoughts on any DEI-related topics.
Akins has a lot of students on the transgender spectrum, but unfortunately, teachers can be faced with punishment if they use a student’s preferred name or pronouns, even if the parent or guardian consents. This law can feel discouraging to those students and make them feel unwelcome at our school.
These close-minded views are hard for us to comprehend; DEI programs are really important to provide groups where everyone can feel included. Many students appreciate these programs because they give them a sense of acceptance.
Our opinion is that these politicians are making up excuses to try to silence minority groups in Texas schools, but no matter how hard they try, they’ll never go away. If you’d like to help the cause against the DEI ban, contact your lawmakers and representatives and get your voice out there.
