When people discuss diversity, there is often a bias that envelopes that discussion. For example, if you are a woman, diversity could mean gender; if you are not a white person, diversity could mean race; and if you are part of the LGBTQ community, diversity focuses on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Defining diversity can be really hard for some people and organizations, as their bias can sometimes prevent the discussion or – more importantly – the decisions needed to advance the needs of a diverse and/or inclusive society.
When we take this to a local government level, we introduce a complex level of different biases that can lead to, or stand in the way of, social change. Sometimes making the right decision, is not always the most comfortable decision. Discomfort and diversity often share the same space.
Diversity Frisco began it’s journey in early 2014 following the decisions of the US Supreme Court relating to same-sex marriage, the Voting Rights Act, and other race-related decisions. Here was a window of opportunity to continue the dialog in our local communities in an attempt to move the needle on diversity in Frisco.
In early 2020, with more discussions on diversity and inclusion being held, Diversity Frisco arose from it’s slumber to continue the journey towards building a more diverse and inclusive city. Our main focus will be to help develop talking points to help guide the sometimes uncomfortable conversations that surround building a more vibrant, diverse and inclusive community.
We took the opportunity to revise our mission statement and goals, and continue to prepare needed documents to file as a recognized nonprofit. We will develop discussion papers through collaborative efforts and work towards bringing these to our city leadership to promote greater acceptance and inclusion in our city.
