HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/20/2024 Item 7a, Whitaker
Gina Whitaker <
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To: Members of the San Luis Obispo City Council,
I wish to add my comments regarding the DEI topic that is being discussed tonight. Although I live in South
County, I spend much of my time and money in San Luis Obispo, and I view SLO and what goes on in SLO as
a large part of my life here on the Central Coast. I have close friends in SLO, and as a member of Unitarian
Universalists San Luis Obispo, I am very involved in what goes on in the city. I have been a county resident for
43 years.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: I wonder how many people really understand the importance of addressing
these issues in our cities and counties throughout the state and country? DEI has become a "catch phrase,"
and some people do not think it means more than some type of “training” for people on the job or some kind of
empty formality that one must endure that really does not have an importance to them, or to our society. I
certainly think that if people took the time to learn how to live the tenets of increasing diversity, striving for
equity and becoming truly welcoming and inclusive in their lives, they would not have disdain for the DEI
concepts. Certainly, the abhorrent behavior displayed by certain individuals during your last meeting on
February 6th would never be displayed in a culture and a society that truly respects diversity, seeks equity and
is genuinely inclusive of everyone.
Please know you have my support for any and all efforts at implementing DEI practices throughout the San
Luis Obispo city government and acknowledging those businesses and individuals who go the extra mile to
make sure they are also working to increase and respect diversity, equity and inclusion in every way possible
as they live their lives in San Luis Obispo.
Thank you for the work you do to move us all toward a more diverse, equitable and inclusive environment in
San Luis Obispo.
Gina Whitaker
Arroyo Grande
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