Will NASA Follow USAF's Lead On Diversity?
NASA Releases Equity Action Plan to Make Space More Accessible to All, NASA
“At NASA, all of our missions depend on our steadfast commitment to equal opportunity,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “The Equity Action plan deepens our commitment to further identify and remove the barriers that limit opportunity in underserved and underrepresented communities. This framework anchors fairness as a core component in every NASA mission to make the work we do in space and beyond more accessible to all.”
Executive Order 13583–Establishing a Coordinated Government-Wide Initiative To Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Federal Workforce
August 18, 2011, White House
NASA Goddard Does Not Want You To Use Your Pronouns, earlier post
Resources available for DAF members, families affected by local laws, Air Force News Service
“Various laws and legislation are being proposed and passed in states across America that may affect LGBTQ Airmen, Guardians, and/or their LGBTQ dependents in different ways. The Department of the Air Force has assignment, medical, legal and other resources available to support Airmen, Guardians and their families. “The health, care and resilience of our DAF personnel and their families is not just our top priority – it’s essential to our ability to accomplish the mission,” said Under Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones. “We are closely tracking state laws and legislation to ensure we prepare for and mitigate effects to our Airmen, Guardians and their families. Medical, legal resources, and various assistance are available for those who need them.” If service members or their families need help with screening, treatment, or mental health support for medical concerns, they should start with DAF medical treatment facilities, according to DAF officials. The MTFs can also assist with navigating challenging life circumstances.”
Keith’s note: Kudos to USAF. With laws being enacted in “space states” such as Florida, Alabama, and Texas – and elsewhere – that have a direct impact on LGBTQ+ members of the NASA workforce and their families, is NASA going to follow the lead of USAF and offer these services and protections? This all stems from White House policies, eys? So one would think that this is something NASA should also be considering. I’d ask NASA PAO but they either ignore requests, say that they will “get back to you’ (and don’t), or in cases like this, simply point to earlier statements on the general topic – without actually answering the question that was asked.
I’d rather see NASA go with best qualified applicant. NASA has done its best for many years to plug in females and minorities. This has especially been in the higher level ranks and especially in some less technical areas where they care less about engineering. It is fine as long as the candidates are equally educated, equally experienced, and equally competent. After decades I can say that some of the NASA people in management are totally inept. We see the performance issues daily. NW raises issues regularly. Theres a reason some of these things dont get fixed.
I have so much to say on this tweet. But to keep this from devolving into a political discussion, I’ll say this: NASA efforts to get diverse has allow more qualified people to get opportunities that they wouldn’t ordinarily have had because of all of the old boy networks.
Your comments on these forums intimate that you assume anyone who isn’t white isn’t qualified. Let’s just say that a lot of those folks in management that you think are there because of some diversity experiment usually got there because they looked a certain way or went to a certain school.
It might be difficult for NASA to follow the USAF’s led in all respects. NASA centers and the workforce tend to be more specialized. If these discriminatory laws are a problem for an employee, the Air Force has a fair amount of freedom to transfer that employee, e.g. from Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio to a base in a different state. They have plenty of other bases which employ people doing similar work. But a NASA employee at Johnson Space Center, likely specializing in human spaceflight, is harder to transfer to a different center; NASA doesn’t have multiple centers which do similar work.
Serious honest question: What are the direct impacts mentioned?