The LGBTQ Community & DEI Programs Are Being Threatened Across the U.S.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By Lorenda A. Naylor and Kasi Carter
October 14, 2024

The 2024 presidential election cycle has brought greater division and extremism. The election comes on the heels of an attempted political coup and two U.S. Supreme Court rulings that threaten civil rights and under-represented groups in American society. DEI initiatives have been thwarted and terminated in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (2023); ending a 45-year precedent of race-conscious admissions in higher education. The decision impacts both public and private institutions. The aim of DEI programs, which includes race as well as color, sex, national origin, gender identity and sexual orientation is designed to promote social and economic inclusion. According to an NBC New Analysis, approximately 30 states have passed or introduced 100 pieces of legislation to ban or restrict diversity initiatives. This legislation has directly impacted DEI programs on college campuses. Florida, Texas and Utah among others have de-funded DEI efforts and terminated faculty and staff positions. These actions are alarming for two core reasons. First, our country is more demographically diverse today than ever before. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2020, approximately 40 percent of the U.S. population was non-White, and by 2045 it is estimated that over 50 percent of the U.S. population will be non-White. Based on population numbers alone, the U.S. needs to ensure equity and inclusion in society to ensure civility and peace. DEI programs and initiatives serve as the foundation for this important task if America is to be successful in what Levitsky and Ziblatt refer to as our multi-racial democracy. Second, education has always been the great equalizer in America. The court’s ruling potentially undermines people of color and first-generation college students from achieving the American dream. DEI programs and initiatives need to be re-instated to ensure equality and access.

Equally important, the LGBT community is under political and legal attack. Although the LGBT community has achieved substantial federal legal rights (marriage, employment protections, adoption, Title IX, and military service), rights at the state and local level are being threatened and rolled back. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, 44 anti-LGBT bills have been passed this year in conservative red states with the greatest number of laws enacted in Tennessee (13 bills). These bills range in restricting student’s rights, school facilities and sports bans, public accommodations, book bans and religious exemptions (that weaken civil rights of LGBT members). Prospectively, there are approximately 100 bills in process that might be passed in 2025; potentially further restricting the rights of LGBT members. Anti-LGBT legislation must be stopped to ensure the civil rights of the LGBT community.

Similarly, women’s reproductive rights are on the line. In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that abortion is not a constitutional right; unwinding approximately 50 years of precedent established in Roe v. Wade (1973). For 50 years U.S. women had the right to control their own bodies. In effect, the court’s decision delegated abortion rights to the states; further dividing and polarizing the country. As of today, only 9 states and the District of Columbia do not restrict abortion, 14 states have total abortion bans and 27 states have gestational bans. The majority of women seeking an abortion now have to travel out of state making it more difficult for impoverished women; placing their livelihoods and health at risk.

As illustrated above, the rights of under-represented groups (women, LGBT and people of color) are being attacked and reduced. If we are to strengthen the rights of under-represented groups then we must uphold and adhere to the democratic values of equality, fairness and representation. The aim of America in the 21^st century is to ensure that all citizens rights are being fully and legally upheld regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, gender and sexual orientation. Our democracy depends on it.       

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Author: Dr. Naylor is a professor at The University of Baltimore in the College of Public Affairs, School of Public and International Affairs where she has taught since 2004. She serves as the academic program director for the undergraduate degree in Politics, Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) program, and is a faculty fellow with the Schaefer Center for Public Policy Fellow where she conducts diversity training for the nationally accredited Maryland Certified Public Manager Program. Dr. Naylor is on the U.S. Fulbright Scholar Specialist roster and is an international scholar. She has traveled to six continents and to over 20 countries. She is a social equity researcher and utilizes a multi-disciplinary framework (public administration and public health), in her research and teaching. Her research focuses on ensuring democratic values are reflected in public policy outcomes. She has written on the following subjects: affirmative action, diversity, elections, gender, LGBTQ, and pedagogy. [email protected]

Author: Kasi Carter graduated with her Bachelors degree in Policy, Politics, International Affairs in 2022 at the University of Baltimore and is currently working on her graduate degree in Global Affairs and Human Security at the University of Baltimore. She will graduate in Spring 2025. Kasi is a Humanitarian Assistance Fellow with Project HOPE, primarily focusing on program evaluation. In addition, she also works part-time as an Immigration Paralegal and is a graduate assistant. She intends to take the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) in February 2025 with the aim of becoming a Foreign Service Officer working in Consular Affairs. [email protected]

 

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