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Trump’s Harvard Attacks, White Men and DEI

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President Trump has ramped up his attacks on Harvard University this week, announcing that he’s considering giving the $3 billion that the Ivy League institution receives in grant money to trade schools across the U.S. This comes as the administration has already axed Harvard’s tens of millions of dollars worth of grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and more.

Trump says his main gripe is that Harvard’s hiring and admissions discriminates against conservatives, especially white men with traditional views about gender. He thinks Harvard officials use “diversity” to admit “woke” applicants.

As a white man, I’m deeply aware that there are many white men in the U.S. who feel like they didn’t get a job or a raise because of quota systems, affirmative action or DEI.

Is there evidence to support that men are struggling more than they did a generation ago? Yes. But there is still a massive gender wage gap, with women making 85 cents to every dollar earned by men in 2024 in the U.S. Additionally, LGBTQ people make 89 cents to every dollar earned by the typical American worker, and Black and Latino people continue to make way less than their white counterparts.

Generations of white privilege and male privilege won’t just magically get undone. Policies need to be enacted to close racist, sexist and homophobic gaps in the workplace. We don’t need to call it DEI or “woke-ism,” but we need it.

As these gaps narrow, privilege is lost. White men won’t have as many opportunities to become the boss without working just as hard as everyone else.

Because this demographic isn’t trained to enter the workforce with this lost privilege, it’s critical that we raise the next generation of boys to understand that losing these advantages is not a bad thing. It is a necessary step toward a more equal society for all, even if it can feel frustrating and even confusing.

But as minority groups have had to work twice as hard for half as much throughout history, isn’t it only fair and equitable that we white men take steps to narrow the gap?

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Over the next week, be on the lookout for new Uncloseted reporting:

  • 🆕 On Saturday, Uncloseted sits down with Linda Lindamood, the dedicated safety coordinator for WorldPride DC. With the city preparing for one of the largest international LGBTQ celebrations ever hosted in the U.S. capital, Lindamood opens up about the immense responsibility of safeguarding a movement rooted in both joy and protest. From coordinating with law enforcement to creating inclusive safety plans for all identities, she reveals the behind-the-scenes challenges, triumphs and personal reasons driving her work.

  • 🆕 This Tuesday, we dive into the evolving landscape of queer spaces with a revealing look at the mapping of gay bars across the U.S. Using newly compiled data, this feature uncovers shifting patterns in LGBTQ nightlife, tracing where these vital community hubs are growing, disappearing or transforming.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to email me with questions, complaints and story ideas!

Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-In-Chief — spencer@unclosetedmedia.com

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