- Author: Elizabeth Moon
Every day I feel pride in working for ANR. This organization continually inspires me with the work being done to achieve our vision of serving and supporting every Californian.
As a community, we have shown pride through our commitment to the Principles of Community 2.0. Over 23 county offices and business units shared their thoughts and creativity to further cement our commitment to show respect to each other. If you haven't already, you still have time to vote for the final refreshed version. The survey takes 10 minutes and can be found here.
Most importantly, at this time of the year, is the support and respect we provide in celebrating our LGBTQ+ community through PRIDE celebrations in June. At the core of this month is the celebration to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots and the strides being made to achieve equal justice and opportunity for LGBTQ+ Americans. Our LGBTQ+ employee resource group provided the following history and information to welcome us into PRIDE MONTH. To continue to learn more be on the look out for our employee resource group's virtual learning through ANR-wide emails.
Numbers in US, 2023
LGBTQ+ identification is at 7.2% in the latest U.S. estimate, up from 5.6% in Gallup's previous 2020 data.
Of those identifying at LGBTQ+, 58.2% identified as bisexual, 20.2% identified as gay, 13.4% identified as lesbian, and 8.8% identified as transgender. Other identities chosen include pansexual (1.7%), asexual (1.3%), queer (1.2%) and "other LGBT" (1.8%).
Real numbers are probably higher due to people feeling unsafe or not ready to identify.
Main reason LGBTQ+ identification has been increasing over time is that younger generations are far more likely to consider themselves to be something other than heterosexual. 19.7% of people from Generation Z identify as LGBTQ+.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/470708/lgbt-identification-steady.aspx
What were the Stonewall Riots?
June 28,1969 marked the beginning of the Stonewall Uprising, a series of events between police and LGBTQ+ protesters which stretched over six days at the StoneWall inn located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The Stonewall riots served as a catalyst for the modern gay rights movement in the United States.
Article:
Stonewall Then and Now:
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/06/harvard-scholars-reflect-on-the-history-and-legacy-of-the-stonewall-riots/ (10-15m read)
Videos:
How the Stonewall Riots Sparked a Movement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9wdMJmuBlA (3m:54s)
The Stonewall You Know is a Myth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7jnzOMxb14&t=86s (9m45s)
More Learning
Milestone in the Gay Rights Movement:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/stonewall-milestones-american-gay-rights-movement/
The first Pride march in New York City was held on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. https://www.loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month/about/#pride-50th-anniversary (12m01s)
History of the Pride Rainbow Flag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMM-ybN3K5g (2m48s)
NYU Documentary celebrating 50 years of the Stonewall riots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31CX1Y0cen8 (27m56s)
The Day the Stonewall Riots Shook America https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCFwOJcMjM0 (2m52s)
Wanda Sykes Take Us Through the History of LGBTQ+ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkzwDOCEDCo&t=57s (4m31s)
If you identify as LGBTQIA+ and you're interested in joining the confidential LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group, please email Belinda Messenger-Sikes bmsikes@ucanr.edu or Pia Wright pwright@ucanr.edu
- Author: Elizabeth Moon
I love this time of year. The weather is the perfect blend of cold and warm and the gardens are abundant with flowers and possibilities. It is also a time of many celebrations.
INAUGURAL WORKPLACE INCLUSION & BELONGING AWARD
In honor of the many celebrations the Workplace Inclusion & Belonging unit is establishing an annual award to coincide with the Staff Recognition and Award Ceremony on June 20th. This award aims to honor and celebrate individuals or groups who are leading the way in creating inclusive and equitable environments throughout UC ANR. Full information on the inaugural Workplace Inclusion & Belonging Award can be found here.
The time line to submit a nomination is April 30 - May 15. Think about a colleague(s), workgroups, employee groups, or others within ANR who have shown a continuous commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and nominate them today!
PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY 2.0 SURVEY
We are nearing the final stages of our refreshed Principles of Community. To build stronger shared language throughout UC ANR, I engaged in conversations and workshops across 23 counties/units, to identify the language, actions and definitions that best connected with how many of you see us upholding our commitment to our Principles of Community.
At our EDI Summit in January/February, the participants read through all the suggestions on the introductions, principle statements and conclusions, and through a process of rankings, the top four in each area were chosen for our final survey out to the UC ANR community.
Please take 10 minutes to choose the introduction, principle, and conclusion that most deeply resonates for you in the work you do within UC ANR. The survey will be open through May 31.
PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY 2.0 Survey Link
- Author: Elizabeth Moon
Welcome to the TOGETHER@WORK Blog. This is Elizabeth, UC ANR's director of workplace inclusion and belonging. In this new blog, we will celebrate our community; engage in deeper learning around issues of equity, diversity and inclusion; and communicate how UC ANR is moving towards aligning values, behaviors and policies to uplift practices of inclusion and belonging.
I am energized by the passion and collective dedication I have experienced connecting with ANR employees across the organization. Many have shared their personal stories, suggestions, and work being done/completed on issues encompassing equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.
Attending the statewide conference, meeting with many of you – engaging in conversations of learning, laughter and moments of true connection – solidified my gratitude for joining the ANR community. During the conference, a good number of colleagues took up the call to respond to a long survey around the historical, current and future focus for work within my role.
Another group shared their artistic talents in visualizing inclusion and belonging at ANR. We are currently hosting a final survey for everyone to choose their top six entries to be highlighted on our upcoming Inclusion & Belonging website, as well as published as postcards for us to share within and outside ANR.
VOTE HERE BY JUNE 1: bit.ly/ANRPostcardContest2023
One theme that has been shared many times with me is the idea of connection and shared values of community. To learn more and gain expertise and recommendations, I have begun to travel to UCCE and REC sites to meet with staff and academics. This past week I traveled to the South Coast REC in Irvine and the Imperial County UCCE office in Holtville. What an honor to engage in these communities – learning more about the research and community work and seeing in person how deep relationships are built across California.
The colleagues I met with shared their top three moments of their experience in this past year. For example, Jose Vallejo (Community Education Specialist) shared the joy of returning to his elementary school and walking in and seeing his teachers and working alongside children in his old classroom and truly connecting with them through games and hands-on activities to teach more about healthy choices.
In this and other shared stories, what I heard was the commitment to create spaces for human flourishing. As I continue to meet with ANR colleagues throughout the state to revitalize and refresh our Living Principles of Community and gain a deeper understanding of how these continue to be operationalized within the work we do, I believe our mission to build out inclusive, diverse, equitable and culturally competent workplaces will continue to successfully grow and achieve success.
Interested in sharing ideas and challenges? Please visit the following feedback form: https://forms.gle/AWCinz3MYWGhzH5n9
Wish to discuss an issue directly with me, email: emoon@ucanr.edu, call 530-883-1174 (Ext 1612) or connect with me in-person.
