NASA moves to erase 'women in leadership,' 'Indigenous people' from websites

[IwantToRetire]

The space agency is being quite thorough in its compliance with President Donald Trump's executive order against programs promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). Per a Jan. 22 directive obtained by 404 Media, space agency employees were recently told to purge public sites of mentions of DEI, Indigenous people, environmental justice, and women in leadership.

"Per NASA HQ direction, we are required to scrub mentions of the following terms from our public sites by 5 pm ET today. This is a drop everything and reprioritize your day request. Note that the list below is the list that exists this morning, but it may grow as the day goes on.
DEIA
Diversity (in context of DEIA)
Equity (" ")
Inclusion (" ")
Accessibility (" ")
MSI
Minority Serving Institution
Indigenous People
EEJ
EJ
Environmental Justice
Underrepresented groups/people
Anything specifically targeting women (women in leadership, etc.)"

A NASA employee who asked to remain anonymous since they were not authorized to speak to the media told the site "We were absolutely required to scrub all DEI related or DEI adjacent topics and terms from all external websites by 5 pm the 22nd, which was a drop everything and get it done task."

https://www.chron.com/news/space/article/nasa-dei-website-20146613.php

If you redefine 'women' to include men who self-ID as women, then nearly all STEM opportunities for women will gradually be taken by some very entitled men.

Presumably most people on a feminist board would agree that there are systemic structural issues making it harder for women to succeed in science?

To then turn around and say that governments and government-run organisations shouldn't do anything about that and should just give men and women a "level playing field" (which is reality is very much slanted to one side) seems very odd to me.

Of course this is how US politics works now. The Democrats go massively overboard in one direction (promoting "diversity" initiatives which consist of cheering on about how fantastic certain designated minorities are, in lieu of actually spending money and passing laws to achieve real social change) and the Republicans retaliate by going just as far in the other direction. There is no sensible party.

there are plenty of issues for women here on earth to worry about - single sex spaces trump space, so to speak.

Suggests that excluding trans women from women's spaces is more important than women's opportunities in STEM as NASA does a lot more than just space. You literally said one trumps the other.

If you are happy with a workforce that is 50% men and 50% men who identify as women; then women still lose. Can you not see that?

If they are top-notch scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians, and have fulfilled all the necessary requirements for the job, surely they are there on merit, however they were recruited.

Many companies try to widen the range of people they interview to make sure they are not missing talented employees who belong to groups that don't traditionally work in their area - the aim is to get the best of the best and that involves casting the net wide, 'the best' may look different.

I never got a job because there was a quota for people like me. I did once get an interview for a STEM job because I am a woman, but I got the job because I was the best candidate. I quickly learnt that they didn't suffer fools gladly in that department, and I had to be not just as good as my male colleagues, but better. If I'd been a 'diversity tick-box' appointment, I wouldn't have lasted a month!

For a thread that’s supposed to be about the erasure of women in leadership, far from calling everyone else “preoccupied with TW” you seem fairly preoccupied about these males yourself? You’ve mentioned them in every post but not once their female equivalent TM.

Women wanting single sex spaces is about woman wanting single sex spaces for WOMEN. Not everything we want or do is centred around entitled and delusional men. Why are you framing it as exclusive these men? They don’t belong in women’s spaces, nor should we feel obliged or guilt tripped into accommodating them.

Let’s talk about women, Trump’s 2nd administration has done more for women and girls in the last few weeks than the previous one did in four years.

'You literally said one trumps the other.'

True, I did indeed say that literally, but the very next words were 'so to speak.'

If you look it up, 'so to speak' is defined as:
'used to explain that what you are saying is not to be understood exactly as stated'

In other words, 'not to be taken literally', as most readers would understand.

But the gist of my statement remains: NASA is not the only source of increased women's opportunities in STEM, and in the here and now there are more basic issues for women , e.g. the right to single sex spaces.

@MarieDeGournay

If they are top-notch scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians, and have fulfilled all the necessary requirements for the job, surely they are there on merit, however they were recruited.

Many companies try to widen the range of people they interview to make sure they are not missing talented employees who belong to groups that don't traditionally work in their area - the aim is to get the best of the best and that involves casting the net wide, 'the best' may look different.

I never got a job because there was a quota for people like me. I did once get an interview for a STEM job because I am a woman, but I got the job because I was the best candidate. I quickly learnt that they didn't suffer fools gladly in that department, and I had to be not just as good as my male colleagues, but better. If I'd been a 'diversity tick-box' appointment, I wouldn't have lasted a month!

My DH recruits for a STEM-related field, at all levels - graduate to executive. His company does have general quotas. If they didn't, women, indigenous, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds would not be represented at anywhere near the same level as Caucasian men.

However, that does not mean any successful applicant is less able to do that job. They are. They may have just received some extra assistance to get there.

FWR is obsessed with TW and never complains about TM. Haven't you noticed?

The obsession with single sex spaces IS ABOUT TRANS WOMEN. There aren't regular men with beards just waltzing in to womens changing rooms as if it's a free for all.

There will never be enough trans women to fill 50% of the work force.

True however when it comes to promotion etc the more boxes that are ticked the better so woman yes, trans yes, lesbian yes. So the heterosexual male gets the promotion.

I don't think any women in FWR didn't see this coming. The right were always going to dump us all. But the left have actively thrown only women under the bus.
My anger is with Biden, Obama and other lefty bro's closer home who have either refused to do anything or actively shoved us further under the bus
The women on FWR are responsible for neither (and most haven't voted in American elections either).

This is horrendous. DEI initiatives are trying to get the best people involved - looking at a room full of (for example) white men, and saying all the best is in there, makes no sense. Unless you think that even the smartest woman, or black man, etc, couldn’t possibly be better than any white man.

I agree that DEI departments can get tangled up and navel gazing BUT it doesn’t mean we should stop caring about it - we have to keep a clear head and also measure long term progress etc.

I’m fully supportive of single sex spaces, of making space in men’s sport for trans women rather than in woman’s sport, keeping trans women safe in jail but NOT by endangering women by putting trans women in with women. I’m absolutely gender critical. So one or two things Trump has put in place may fit with what I’d like to see, but I can’t feel happy about any of it because it’s absolutely clear that none of it stems from a place of respect for women and girls. And it’s clear that alongside the one or two measures I’m happy about, will come a slew of sexist controlling racist and frightening measures that push the world into a much worse place. And nobody should be surprised at any of this.

Completely agree.

🎯

Not quite sure what your point is here. The “obsession” with TW is because since they are male and in women’s spaces, they are posing a danger to women. Or taking sports places from women. TM are women so it’s clearly fine for them to be in women’s sport (as long as no advantageous drugs), and they don’t tend to have a physical advantage or pose a danger to men. Most of our conversations around TM is about how best we could help them feel more accepted as women and not feel like that should have to involve any form of performing femininity.

And actually there was a thread yesterday about a man headed into a women’s changing room - not TW related but it does happen, beardy or not. And the point is TW are exactly the same as regular men. No point in differentiating from a woman’s perspective.

I think a lot of posts are missing the point.

There are valid reasons why in terms of advertising jobs, getting further education grants or support in the community why it is necessary to promote some groups.

This shouldn't need to be spelt out on a feminist board.

Because 99.9% of the time white men get these automatically because of the ingrained privilege they grow up with.

Trying to level the playing field by encouraging more women in science or whatever, is important, as it is important to ensure workplaces etc., aren't exclusively white when the population as a whole isn't white.

Because (as usual) the TRAs have hijacked the process doesn't mean we just give up and say they've spoilt it so women, PoC etc., shouldn't have support to suceed.

Its just crass and typical immature schoolboy behaviour to adopt a position and not put any effort into thinking of the effect of what they are doing.

I am sure in many organisations what is called DEI in the US could be looked at and critiqued to see if it is actually working.

But just censoring things is just another example of men in power erasing other people's realities.

In fact so worried is Trump about the natural order of stupid white men being in charge, that he is now offering asylum to white farmers from South Africa who he says are being discriminated against.

No doubt he will soon be closing down any organisations that tries to protect and promote the rights of Indigenous American as being discriminatory against the influx of white europeans who stole their land.