Category Archives: Authors R-Z

ADR authors listed by last name R-Z

Advisors, Authors R-Z, Gender

Survival Matters: Cross-dressing – by Julia Wai-Yin So

Cross-dressing has a Different Meaning at a Different Place in a Different Time

In recent years, with more and more social acceptance of multiple variations of gender identity, cross-dressing has become an empowering tool for transgendered individuals who are out, proud, and loud to assert their gender identity. Notwithstanding, we have to be cognizant of the fact that cross-dressing validates the practice of the binary system of gender. We also have to remind ourselves that the binary system of gender is a social construct and that it is built on a medical model using the binary system of sex. More importantly, cross-dressing carries a different meaning at a different place in a different time. Here, I will describe three specific examples of females cross-dress as males.

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Authors R-Z, Native American

Rediscovering What Has Always Been There – by Glenn Welker

‘REMEMBER’
“Treat this earth well:
it is not a present from your parents,
it is on loan to your children.
The people who enrich their minds are those
who keep their history on the leaves of memory.”

INDIANS – NATIVE AMERICANS – ABORIGINALS – INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

Any and all of these terms identify those persons who act as the caretakers of our planet. Some of them, such as the Aborigines of Australia, have sustained the uninterrupted thread of their society for more than 40,000 years. They are the lucky ones.

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Advisors, Authors R-Z, Gender

Misgendering: Is It a Big Deal? – by Julia Wai-Yin So

I live in New Mexico—a liberal state where people respect each other’s gender identity.  It is also a state where everyone, including the members of TNG (transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse) community enjoy the privilege of publicly sharing their preferred gender pronoun or personal gender pronoun (PGP). At any given professional meetings, it is a common practice that people would introduce themselves followed by their PGP. I, on the other hand, rarely mentioned my PGP. I am not a member of the TNG community.  At the same time, I do not see the need to announce my PGP. To me, my gender is no one’s business. If I want others to know my gender, I will introduce myself as such and let others know. As for addressing others, I will respectfully ask when unsure and honor their individuality and dignity. 

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Advisors, Authors R-Z

“EYES AND EARS WIDE SHUT”: THE SILENCE IS DEAFENING – by Mauricio Velásquez

I have always specialized in hostile or militant audiences but from time to time even I have to step back and pause for a second.  Current events are always “fair game” in my workshops; it is what makes my sessions current, electric and never boring.  Recent moments of truth in my sessions lead me to pen and update the original article I wrote many years ago.  The rash of horrible racial injustices (some say pattern) of Ahmaud Arbery to Breonna Taylor to George Floyd to Amy Cooper to Jacob Blake had erupted into a national conversation about racial injustice, white privilege, inequity, diversity, inclusion, and more.

Comments like – “I don’t care about BLM – Black Lives Matter, I am trying to run a business” or “White Lives Matter” or worse “White Lives Matter More (WLMM)” when people mention “Black Lives Matter” have led many to the politicization and polarization of these horrible atrocities and these acts continue a horrible pattern of racial injustice.  You have to go back to “Rodney King had it coming!” and “Trayvon Martin, who cares.”  Today, you must be a “liberal” or a “conservative” – ouch!  

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Authors R-Z, Disability

Dismantling DEI and Special Education – by Diane Storman

How anti-DEI initiatives
may impact students

We typically view Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs through the prism of race and culture. However, there is a profound connection between DEI principles and the progress made in Special Education over the past 50 years, especially in the context of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), passed in 1975, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990. Expanding rights and opportunities for students with disabilities is deeply intertwined with broader shifts in thinking about inclusion and access.

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Authors R-Z, Holocaust, Social Issues

A chance meeting – by Regina Sën

Are there ever such things?
Or threads in the universe strumming, at just the right moment, to begin a new song? These were the thoughts floating through my mind, after connecting in a circle of grandmothers last weekend.

Enter stage right
A few hours pass with nine blessed souls: lives connecting for but a moment on the timeline of our lives. Yet profound, they rang as music to my ears, struggling to help loved ones understand the danger of our day, and the need to prepare.   I heard about a World War II veteran, one woman’s Father, whose study by commission during and after World War II was to find out, among the Nazis, 

“How did it happen? How did so many steer so far awry? And what was the state of mind of the German population by and large, immediately after?” 

Coincidence? Perhaps? 

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Authors R-Z, Politics

Why The Ultimate End of TikTok May Not Be On Our Horizon  – by Aron Solomon

The Supreme Court delivered what many believe will be a fatal blow to TikTok in the United States, paving the way for a nationwide ban of the app. But while this decision appears to spell doom for the platform, I strongly disagree with the notion that TikTok’s days in the U.S. are so finitely numbered.

The larger picture here is that TikTok has become an economic and cultural force in the United States. It supports millions of creators, influencers, and small businesses who depend on the platform for their livelihoods. Its ban would ripple across industries tied to digital marketing, e-commerce, and content creation, causing significant economic disruptions. This isn’t just about an app—it’s about the ecosystem it supports, the lives it impacts, and the broader implications for American competitiveness in technology.

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Advisors, Authors R-Z, Trends 2025: Chaotic Times

TRENDS 2025: Inclusive Excellence – by Julia Wai-Yin So

My 1,2,3 ANALYSIS

) 1 or 2 issues that are personally most vital to me in 2025.

For decades at the end of the Fall semester, faculty, staff, and students from colleges and universities in the nation leave the campus to enjoy the winter holiday. This year, many of them left with a sense of uncertainty, unsure how lives would be when they return in the spring.  I live in New Mexico—an immigrant and woman friendly state. I work for a public state university that, for over a century, has proudly opened its campus to faculty, staff, and students of various backgrounds. Most meaningfully, I work for the Division for Equity and Inclusion that runs programs to ensure everyone is treated with respect and dignity. My personal motto–Inclusive Excellence—aims to understand, respect, appreciate, and value each individual’s background and what they bring to our community. Inclusive Excellence is not just vital to my wellbeing as well as my professional growth, it is vital to our nation’s strength and world leadership.

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Authors R-Z, Trends 2025: Chaotic Times

Companies not backing down on DEI – by Nancy Levine Stearns

Last week, the New York Times published a story, headlined: “D.E.I. on the Ropes Ahead of the Next Trump Era: Corporate policies concerning diversity, equity and inclusion, already under pressure from conservatives, are facing greater threats from allies of the president-elect.” 

What the Times and other media outlets are largely neglecting to report is that far more corporations are standing strong on their DEI initiatives than the handful that are caving to pressure ahead of the next Trump era.

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