Commitment to diversity

Within the classical definition of diversity, most people think of people of varying skin colors, sexualities and gender identities. And while that definition is certainly relevant, in journalism, diversity more specifically pertains to the spectrum of people we are representing and covering in our work. 

When I wrote Catcalling in Marin: not your fault and shouldn't be the default, I really tried to find sources who weren't typically represented in most discussions about street harassment. When people think of catcalling, they often think of  cisgender, heterosexual women being harassed in an urban environment. What I found, however, after interviewing a transgender man, as well as two queer women, is that street harassment doesn't exclude any demographic. Their experiences were just as vile as those often depicted by heterosexual women. 

Interviewing a cast of sources with varying gender and sexual orientation didn't make my coverage diverse. What made my coverage 'diverse' was its effort to highlight people who are often not included in conversations about street harassment. 

Granted, there is still so much room for growth within my own commitment to diversity. In a sense, it was easy for me to shed light on the under-representation of queers in conversations about street harassment because I am queer. But my definition of the groups that should be represented shouldn't be limited to the ones in which I identify-- and the same goes for all barkies. I have a bias to cover the LGBTQ  community because it is coverage that directly relates to and impacts me, and stepping out of that can be uncomfortable-- but that's why it's so important. I aim to continue to listen to my community and try and understand the news, not just as it unfolds, but all of the different groups it impacts. And, I hope that I will get better at identifying, out of those who are impacted, whose stories aren't being told or addressed. 

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