‘Gender unicorn’ | What leaked DCSA slides teach HR about DE&I training that engages rather than alienates

 Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) training slides on DE&I were recently leaked, including a diagram of a 'gender unicorn.’

While some supporters praised the training for including ‘good information’ on topics such as LGBTQIA+ allyship and the use of pronouns, it also provided useful ammunition for critics who deemed it “absurd mandated annual training that deviates so widely from agencies' actual mission set.”

This training presentation is, therefore, a ready-made case study of issues DE&I training exercises experience in organizations across the U.S. - well-meaning work that provides vital information about workplace inclusion, but due to ineffective delivery, invites criticism and alienates those who are already skeptical about the need for DE&I.

“If we consider a broader worldview, we all know that everything is not for everybody. The same holds with DE&I or any kind of training particularly training that you may encounter in the workplace,” says Kimberley Shariff, EVP, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at Penguin Random House.