I'd like to talk for a minute about this thread that has been going around today. I've been participating in the discussion in the thread. But I want to give Ryan a break, because this isn't about him. (Plus I keep telling y'all I'm the nice one) 
First off, a lot of people have suggested to Ryan that he's lying and that this didn't happen. I want to say up front that I can absolutely see this happening. As long as we're talking about what *actually* happened and doing our best not to project or misinterpret.
I have basically 2 takes on this just from the information given. The first is that this man at the event did not give Ryan reliable information about how the policy works or what to expect about his application.
A lot of people might wonder why this man would give false information. That's a reasonable question, and it led me to my second take. This is white male grievance in action.
So basically:
What actually happened: A white man got drunk and tried to have racist communion with another white man. Probably true.
What probably didn't happen: This company doesn't hire white men explicitly because they are white men. Highly unlikely.
What actually happened: A white man got drunk and tried to have racist communion with another white man. Probably true.
What probably didn't happen: This company doesn't hire white men explicitly because they are white men. Highly unlikely.
There's one other piece of information in this story. Ryan describes, second hand mind you, the actual policy of this company. It sounds like a quota system where they make sure women and people of color are guaranteed to be represented in their hiring pipeline.
Is this true? It very well could be. Many companies are trying to find ways to establish policies around increasing diversity. Or at least look like they are. I don't think we can trust the details, because again, unreliable source.
Some of us know there is a long history of quota systems being used as a tactic against discrimination. The Rooney Rule is probably the most famous. It's fair to question whether it's valid. I think it is, though my personal feelings on it are nuanced.
All of that is just giving my official stance on the story Ryan tells. But I'm not that interested in continuing to analyze that. Instead I wanna talk about this.
What strikes me about this story is that a white man is told he is being discriminated against and that makes him sad. He feels it's unfair. And yet white men don't seem to have a problem with the current state of affairs regarding women and people of color. Why is that?
I'm unsure why Ryan expects people to care about this story he tells when people who aren't white men have been telling similar stories for literally decades and decades. It makes me wonder where Ryan was when those conversations where happening.
It makes me wonder what exactly Ryan expects people to do about his perceived discrimination. And why he hasn't done the same about ours.
These are the questions that are often missing when we are forced to "debate" about the validity of initiatives around diversity, equity, and inclusion. There are many white men like Ryan and this asshole at the party, who never have to answer these questions.
All of us should pay attention to how quickly white men believe that *they* are being discriminated against. And that they expect *us* to believe it too. And we should compare that against the reactions we often receive from white men when we say the same.
Not to mention that our situation is not just a story told by some drunk shithead at an event. We have the fucking receipts. We have numbers. We have documents. We have audio and video evidence. And somehow people like Ryan don't seem nearly as concerned.
In short, I'm left wondering exactly who Ryan thought he was telling this story to. Because it's clearly not meant for somebody like me.
