Australia’s Largest Christian News Site

The language of DEI is everywhere. But what if it actually means the opposite of what you’re told — namely: groupthink, discrimination and censorship?

You have likely heard of the acronym DEI and know the words it stands for: diversity, equity and inclusion. In fact, there’s a good chance your workplace has required you to attend training on this very topic.

But what does all this terminology actually mean?

The definition provided on Dictionary.com is representative of how this acronym is usually defined:

diversity, equity, and inclusion: a conceptual framework that promotes the fair treatment and full participation of all people, especially in the workplace, including populations who have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination because of their background, identity, disability, etc.

If you are anything like me, however, this definition feels slippery, and even somewhat false.

The reason it feels false is because it is false. Like almost any mainstream source that defines these terms, Dictionary.com offers a precisely inverted definition of DEI.

In reality, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) does not mean “the fair treatment and full participation of all people” but more accurately, groupthink, discrimination and censorship aimed at excluding certain kinds of people and ideas.

Don’t believe me? Ask American philosopher Dr Peter Boghossian.

Introducing Dr Peter Boghossian

Dr Peter Boghossian worked alongside James Lindsay on the infamous Grievance Studies Affair project. He also made headlines in 2021 when he resigned from his prestigious, decade-long post at Portland State University, after the school became overrun with DEI ideology.

In his letter of resignation, Dr Boghossian wrote:

Students at Portland State are not being taught to think. Rather, they are being trained to mimic the moral certainty of ideologues. Faculty and administrators have abdicated the university’s truth-seeking mission and instead drive intolerance of divergent beliefs and opinions. This has created a culture of offence where students are now afraid to speak openly and honestly.

In the years since, Boghossian has dedicated himself to explaining DEI and related concepts to a broader audience, in hopes of seeing a return of tolerance and commonsense in Western nations.

In a series of short, brilliant videos posted to his YouTube channel, Boghossian defines diversity, equity and inclusion in extremely clear terms, exposing DEI as the exact opposite of what it purports to be.

Diversity, he says, means people who look different but think alike. Equity, according to Boghossian, means making up for past discrimination with current discrimination. And Inclusion, he argues, means restricting speech.

For a fuller explanation, check out his videos below.

Diversity: People who look different but think alike

When the woke use the word ‘diversity’, they mean people who look different but think alike.

For example, a diverse hiring pool would include people who look different but have nearly identical opinions about social, cultural and political issues.

A Black conservative, for example, would not be a diverse candidate because even though a Black conservative looks different from the majority group, he doesn’t subscribe to the woke worldview.

Ultimately, when you hear the word ‘diversity’, translate that as a desire for superficial differences while holding an identical worldview.

Equity: Making up for past discrimination with current discrimination

Equity means making up for past discrimination with current discrimination.

In an equitable system, certain individuals and groups must be discriminated against in order to make up for discrimination that other individuals and groups suffered in the past.

Equity and equality do not mean the same thing. In fact, they’re opposites.

If a system is equitable, that means, by definition, people are not treated equally. For example, if a company adopted and equitable employment system, that would mean they hire more women than men, because women have faced significant past discrimination.

So in an equitable system, the best candidate is not judged solely on the basis of merit or ability, but is judged on the basis of some characteristic like sex or sexual orientation or race.

In an employment system that has equality as a core value, any characteristic other than merit does not factor into the hiring process. In other words, if someone is gay or Native American, that would not play a role in whether or not they were hired. Equality means not being judged on immutable physical characteristics.

Inclusion: Restricting speech

What the woke mean by inclusion is restricting speech. Here’s how it works.

An inclusive space is a welcoming space. And who wouldn’t want to create a welcoming space? But to make people feel welcome, you have to make sure they are not offended, because if they are offended, they’ll no longer feel welcome.

The best way to make sure people aren’t offended is to exclude certain ideas. In order to exclude certain ideas, you have to make sure people don’t say certain things — things that could make people feel unwelcome.

So, an inclusive space means an environment that restricts speech.

Watch Peter Boghossian’s entire catalogue of 60-second videos here.