Politics, institutions and companies for a more inclusive society

Diversity no longer exists. This seems to be what the decisions taken by the new Trump administration seem to be saying, which through a series of executive orders and targeted communications to bodies, institutions, universities and companies is erasing piece by piece a culture of inclusion that saw the United States as a point of reference. The erasure begins with the language: among the government's first acts was a ban on the use of terms such as 'diversity', 'inclusion', 'gender identity' and 'equity' in official federal documents, an act that is not only symbolic but also concrete, aimed at eliminating the issue at its roots. And an executive order made it clear that only two genders are recognised in the country: male and female. Closing the door to any kind of recognition of the LGBT+ community. And from language, we have moved on to narrative, with the banning of books that recount experiences of transition; to iconography, with the deletion of 26,000 images by the Ministry of Defence (with the elimination of the historic photograph of the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Japan, Enola Gay); to research, with the ban on references to gender studies and funding cuts, especially in the health sector; to services, with the cutting of subsidies to support young people and families. Piece by piece, a decades-long path is being dismantled, despite the fact that one in ten Americans declare themselves part of the LGBT+ community, according to a Gallup analysis.

On this side of the ocean, Europe is moving with some fundamental differences. The most virtuous countries continue on the path towards a more inclusive society, while in others the winds blowing from the States are inspiring more rigid positions. Italy is, according to Ilga data, in the lower-middle part of the ranking. Civil unions have been recognised in our country since 2016, but not egalitarian marriage. On the rainbow families front, then, living law and Constitutional Court rulings are drawing up a regulatory framework that the legislature has not yet structured (see article on page, ed.). The greatest deficiency, which underpins a civilised society, is that of a law that recognises hate crimes against LGBT+ people. Both Amnesty International's Hate Barometer and reports by VOX, the Italian Observatory on Rights, underline how hate speech against the community is on the rise in Italy. According to Arcigay's latest report, 68% of LGBT+ people have been bullied at school, 53% are afraid to hold hands in public with their loved one, 38% have suffered discrimination in public life, and 51% hide their orientation and gender identity at work. It is precisely the workplace, however, that is becoming a place of cultural change and inclusion thanks to programmes implemented by companies, which in this case recognise rights (such as parental leave) and provide training (through meetings, events and initiatives involving all levels of the company). Thus, the private sector can pave the way for the public sector towards a more inclusive society.