The older I get the more I hear, “We want diversity. We love you for your diversity. We need your diversity.”

Only to find out that can too often mean:

“We value diversity but only if you do it our way. Your true voice isn’t what we want unless it’s this way.”

(Cont).

I think, too often those diverse voices can be ones that, sadly, make people uncomfortable.

And rather than deal with that discomfort/know we are with them to help, it’s easier to say, “How you do your diversity is wrong.”

We see this in so many avenues, not only work. (Cont)

In our daily interactions, in writing, in restaurants, in how we “let” people dream and exist.

I think something we rarely ask diverse people: “If you could freely be yourself, at home, at work, how you interact with others, how you dream, who would you be?”

So....

Twitter people: If you could freely exist as yourself, what would that look like? What would the world look like?

If you could know your voice and diversity are truly valued, who would you be? What would you be free to do?

Go. And know that you are seen.