Diversity and Inclusion

I deal with the discussion of diversity a lot in my job at the University of Utah. We are always talking about how our students are shown and making sure everyone feels represented. Sometimes to the point where I feel it has become the  proverbial dead horse. But I had an interesting experience yesterday at a fireside that made this continuous discussion a little more personal.

First, let me preface this with the fact that I am not an intense Mormon feminist. I don't want the Priesthood. I do not feel oppressed as a woman in the LDS Church. I do believe women are very capable and our abilities should be recognized and used to move forward the work of the Lord.

Yesterday at this fireside, the opening prayer was said by a man from the congregation. During the main speaker's presentation, he had three men read from the slides for 10-15 minutes. The closing prayer was said by a man. For the first time in my life, I thought, but where am I? Where are the women? I know how to read (better than some of those who read that evening). I know how to pray. Why aren't women included in this program?

And then I thought about the many times people who are different than the norm think that: Where am I? It is not that the people planning the program thought: "We won't have any women participate. Let's exclude them." I know it was not done maliciously. But no one planning the program thought: "What about women? Do we have a capable woman who could read as well?"

So, while I often get frustrated by the continuous discussion, I realized the importance of simply asking the question. Who may we be excluding? Who can we strive to include and help feel like an important contributing part of this community? Who are we missing? And isn't that exactly what Christ would ask? He would then do his best to find and include those people who we often overlook and leave out. It then becomes much more about inclusion, rather than simply diversity.


*Note: There was no ethnic diversity in the men who participated, but as I am not in the ethnic minority, I didn't think I could touch on that much. However, it is worth noting that the ethnic inclusion question wasn't asked either.