Virtual Book Discussion: 'Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights'

The Aging and Independence Services Diversity & Inclusion Team along with guest facilitator Eric McDonald, chief medical officer for San Diego County, and Benjamin Parmentier, chair of the LGBTQ&A Employee Resource Group, invite fellow employees to participate in a virtual book discussion on Kenji Yoshino’s “Covering: The Hidden Assault On Our Civil Rights.”

*You do not have to read the book to participate. All are welcome to simply listen to the discussion.*

When: Tuesday, Jan. 25

Time: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. via TEAMS

RSVP: Email your RSVP by Jan. 24 to Elizabeth Wellbrock

Book Description:  Against conventional understanding, Kenji Yoshino argues that the demand to cover can pose a hidden threat to our civil rights. Though we have come to some consensus against penalizing people for differences based on race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, and disability, we still routinely deny equal treatment to people who refuse to downplay differences along these lines. Racial minorities are pressed to “act white” by changing their names, languages, or cultural practices. Women are told to “play like men” at work. Gays are asked not to engage in public displays of same-sex affection. The devout are instructed to minimize expressions of faith, and individuals with disabilities are urged to conceal the paraphernalia that permit them to function. In a wide-ranging analysis, Yoshino demonstrates that American civil rights law has generally ignored the threat posed by these covering demands. With passion and rigor, he shows that the work of civil rights will not be complete until it attends to the harms of coerced conformity.

See the flyer below.