Stopping DEI In Its Tracks (Or Lanes)

 I am almost everything the Trump Administration hates.

The reason I say “almost” is that I’m White.  But I check the other boxes:  I am a woman. I am transgender.  I live in New York City. I’ve been voting for Democrats (though I do not identify as one; my values are mostly more progressive). Oh, and I am a cyclist.

Could I be the (or a) reason why the Administration has declared that bike lanes are “DEI tools?”

For those of you who haven’t had to live with the lunacy in the United States, DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion. It’s a shorthand for policies created to safeguard against discrimination in workplaces and other institutions.

So how did this Administration—In particular its Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy—come to the conclusion that those green strips of asphalt along your city’s main streets are conduits for people like me, people of color, immigrants and other “undesirables?” Well, Duffy’s predecessor, Pete Bootigieg (whom Duffy referred to as “Boot-edge-edge”) allocated much of the funding made available to municipalities, not only for bike lanes, but also for other projects to improve pedestrian and traffic safety.

You see; “Boot-edge-edge” has a husband and served under Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, who extended and strengthened DEI policies initiated by President Barack Obama, under whom Biden served  as Vice President. “Boot-edge-edge,” said that among other things, building bike lanes and implementing other safety measures would “improve infrastructure, strengthen supply chains, make us safer, advance equity and combat climate change.”

“Advance equity and combat climate change.” Little did he know he was giving his successor ammunition.

Trump and Duffy have sent out messages in screaming capital letters on X (formerly known as Twitter) that their predecessors’ policies were “hostile to motor vehicles” and grants promised to various municipalities—including some that voted overwhelmingly for Trump all three times he ran for President—would be cancelled.

Gotta stop that DEI menace in its tracks, you know!

Photo by Kevin Dietsch, Getty Images