Quote:Houthi rebels have been firing on American ships in the Red Sea. Currently, China is gaining even more influence on the world stage as Iran continues its saber-rattling against service members in the Middle East. But, at least America’s diplomacy efforts are becoming more diverse, equitable, and inclusive, according to a recent announcement from the Department of State.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a press release on Wednesday announcing its “Equity Action Plan,” which is intended to comply with President Joe Biden’s executive order to “address barriers to opportunity for underserved communities and embed equity into all aspects of federal decision-making.”

The press release notes that the State Department “has taken concrete steps to advance equity in foreign policy by refining tracking of foreign assistance programs to embed equity and inclusion into global programming, further integrating equity into pubic diplomacy, updating travel and citizenship documents and forms, and increasing small business awards by two percent.”

That’s right, folks. America’s diplomacy department is going to get even more woke. Imagine how Russian President Vladimir Putin will be quaking in his boots when faced with a team of diverse diplomats featuring the requisite amount of racial minorities and members of the LGBTQ community.

But it gets even better. The press release outlines what this initiative will look like in all its woke splendor.

With today’s release of the 2023 Equity Action Plan, the Department continues to implement these executive orders with five global strategic focus areas: pursuing diplomatic efforts to combat hate and protect inclusive democracy; advancing racial equity and justice; protecting LGBTQI+ persons; promoting respect for international disability rights; and advancing gender equity and equality. These strategic focus areas bolster the Department’s enterprise-wide approach to integrating equity and inclusion operationally in foreign assistance; foreign policy development and implementation; public diplomacy; consular services; and procurement, contracts, and grants.

Of course, this makes no sense. How are American diplomats supposed to address hate and advance “racial equity and justice” in other countries? Indeed, even government agencies working domestically are unable to accomplish these objectives on American soil.

This move is prompted by an executive order President Biden signed in February 2023 to “strengthen the administration’s effort to marshal a whole-of-government approach to advancing racial equity.” Supposedly, the executive orders instructed each federal agency to put together and execute a plan for fostering racial equity inside and outside of the government.

Critically, by formalizing equity requirements—such as action plans, budget proposals, and procurement policies—as part of normal government processes, agencies will be better positioned to understand, act on, and measure progress toward removing systemic barriers that prevent the government from serving all people equitably.

To achieve equitable outcomes, the administration must implement its latest executive order with additional policies and processes that will help deliver on its promise to remove systemic barriers and advance equal opportunity for all.

Let’s cut through the bovine excrement, shall we? None of this has anything to do with promoting “equity” or racial equality. This is nothing more than the type of mindless virtue signaling we have come to expect from the left. What is truly ridiculous is the fact that the Biden administration is using taxpayer funds for this nonsense.

Quote:As America finds itself in one of its most precarious situations in decades, the State Department is getting its priorities in order.

These priorities, as it turns out, involve lecturing employees about the importance of recognizing and respecting other people's gender identities.

According to a memo obtained by National Review, the State Department is seeking to “increase understanding of gender identity and provide guidance on gender identity language and best practices that support an inclusive work environment.”

NRO exclusively reported on the Feb. 4 cable:

The cable says that gender is a social construct and that gender identity is a person’s “innermost concept of self as masculine, feminine, a blend of both, or neither,” which “may or may not correspond with one’s sex assigned at birth.”

It suggests that State Department employees identify their pronouns in their email signatures and when introducing themselves in meetings “to show respect and avoid misunderstandings.”

“Commonly used pronouns could include she/her, he/him, they/them, and ze/zir,” the cable says, adding that some people use more than one set of pronouns and some people may accept all pronouns. “This is a personal decision that should be respected.”

The memo, signed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, also orders staffers to use “gender-neutral language whenever possible" and provides a list of "problematic" terms that should be avoided at all costs:

Problematic terms like “manpower,” “you guys,” “ladies and gentlemen” and even “mother/father,” “son/daughter,” and “husband/wife” should be avoided. Better to use terms like “labor force,” “everyone,” “folks,” “you all,” and “parent,” “child,” and “spouse” or partner” instead, the cable says.

“When speaking, avoid using phrases like ‘brave men and women on the front lines,’” the cable adds, suggesting that staffers “use more specific language such as ‘brave first responders,’ ‘brave soldiers,’ or ‘brave DS agents.’”

The cable also instructs State Department employees not to “pressure someone to state their pronouns,” to handle mistakes with “subtlety and grace,” and to remember that gender identity “may be fluid, so remain attuned to and supportive of shifts in pronouns.”

Needless to say, such orders of progressive compliance have become par for the course across the State Department and in the Biden administration as a whole.

Just this week, Blinken released the department's 2023 Equity Action Plan, which seeks to build upon a recent executive order from Joe Biden stating that federal agencies must make greater efforts to "address barriers to opportunity for underserved communities and to embed equity into all aspects of federal decision-making."

The press release states:

With today’s release of the 2023 Equity Action Plan, the Department continues to implement these executive orders with five global strategic focus areas: pursuing diplomatic efforts to combat hate and protect inclusive democracy; advancing racial equity and justice; protecting LGBTQI+ persons; promoting respect for international disability rights; and advancing gender equity and equality.

These strategic focus areas bolster the Department’s enterprise-wide approach to integrating equity and inclusion operationally in foreign assistance; foreign policy development and implementation; public diplomacy; consular services; and procurement, contracts, and grants.

READ: Biden's State Department Unveils 'Equity Action Plan' to Make Diplomacy More 'Equitable'

With conflicts still raging across Ukraine and the Middle East, Americans will surely be delighted to know that their tax dollars are creating a comfortable environment for those suffering from gender dysphoria.

It is, after all, a truth universally acknowledged that when it comes to matters of international diplomacy, it's the use of gender-neutral language that really brings together the bonds of human understanding. For those living in the real world, however, it is probably best not to expect an end to said conflicts anytime soon.