The Beginner’s Guide to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Five people laying on the ground with their heads together
“Diversity is being asked to the party, Inclusion is being asked to dance.”
-Vernā Myers
When it comes to diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI), it can be hard to know where to start. When you factor in how society and language is constantly shifting, it becomes extra difficult. That’s why we created this guide.
Simply put, diversity is about bringing differences together. Equity is about what’s fair and just. Inclusion is about taking different needs and perspectives into account.
In the following pages, you’ll find a list of definitions that are important to know. This will give you a foundation of knowledge from which you can begin to build a more diverse, equitable and inclusive environment at work, home, or in your community. You’ll also find tips below on how to take what you’ve learned beyond this guide.
It’s on all of us to create a more just future. So let’s begin!
How to use this guide:
Read through the definitions and note the terms you’re familiar with. Download it for references and extra resources to learn more about the concepts you’re unfamiliar with.
Make a plan for how you’ll continue educating yourself. Try following educational accounts on social media, marking a date on your calendar to review these terms, or consuming diverse podcasts, books, shows and films.
Education is the first part of a lifelong commitment towards DEI; think of three actions you can take at work, home and/or in your community. You’ll be more likely to carry out the actions if they’re:
Specific and concrete.
Have a timeline or deadline associated with it.
Are shared with a colleague, family, member or friend who can help keep you accountable.
Note: The world is a fast-moving place and language is always changing. These definitions reflect our best understanding of the terms at the time of publishing, but their meanings may change.
DEI Terminology
Ableism: Discrimination against people with mental and/or physical disabilities; social structures that favour able-bodied individuals (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
Aboriginal Peoples: Canada’s Constitution Act divides Aboriginal Peoples into three groups: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. Although the term “Aboriginal Peoples” became legal as a result of the Constitution Act, the federal government has also recognized and accepted the term “Indigenous People.” If using this term, it should always appear as “Aboriginal Peoples,” not “Aboriginal” or “Aboriginals.” Note that some Indigenous Peoples prefer not to be called Aboriginal Peoples (Indgeinous Corporate Training Inc., 2016).
Acculturation: The process of learning about and incorporating the language, values, beliefs and behaviours of a distinct culture. This concept is not to be confused with assimilation, where an individual or group may give up certain aspects of its culture in order to adapt to the prevailing culture (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
Agender: A term that often describes someone who falls under the non-binary umbrella and does not have a gender.
Ally: A person who takes action against oppression out of a belief that eliminating oppression will benefit members of targeted groups and advantaged groups. Allies acknowledge the disadvantage and oppression of other groups than their own, take supportive action on their behalf, commit to reducing their own complicity or collusion in the oppression of these groups, and invest in strengthening their own knowledge and awareness of oppression.
Outstretched colourful hands
Anti-oppression: Recognizing and deconstructing the systemic, institutional, and personal forms of disempowerment used by certain groups over others; actively challenging the different forms of oppression (Seramount, n.d).
Assigned Male/Female at Birth, Assigned Sex at Birth: Instead of “born male” or “born female,” which are inaccurate and considered offensive, use “assigned male at birth” or “assigned female at birth” (often abbreviated to AMAB and AFAB). You may also use “raised as a boy” or “raised as a girl” when appropriate. When using this language, consider whether it’s necessary to call attention to someone’s assigned sex or the gender they were raised as. It usually is not. Most audiences understand what transgender means and don’t need to know a person’s assigned sex at birth to understand the story you’re sharing.
Bias: A positive or negative inclination towards a person, group, or community (Thiederman, 2013).
Bigender: A non-binary gender; a word to describe a person’s gender that often means someone who has two genders. These genders can be, but are not always, male and female.
Bigotry: Intolerant prejudice that glorifies one’s own group and denigrates members of other groups (Western States Center, 2003).
Binary Gender: A gender that exists within the gender binary; man or woman. BIPOC: An acronym for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour. The term has increased in use and awareness after the Black Lives Matter resurgence against racism and police brutality in the wake of the George Floyd shooting in 2020. BIPOC is meant to emphasize the particular hardships faced by Black and Indigenous people and is also meant to acknowledge that not all people of colour face the same levels of injustice.
Bisexuality: Romantic and/or sexual attraction to people of more than one sex and/or gender, not necessarily at the same time, not necessarily in the same way, and not necessarily to the same degree (Ochs, 2012).
Cis: Short for cisgender (pronounced “sis”).
Cisgender: A term used for someone whose gender is exclusively the one they were
assigned at birth (pronounced “sis-gender”).
Cis Man: A man who is cisgender.
Cis Woman: A woman who is cisgender.
Classism: Biased attitudes and beliefs that result in, and help to justify unfair treatment of individuals or groups because of their socio-economic grouping. Classism can also be expressed as public policies and institutional practices that prevent people from breaking out of poverty rather than ensuring equal economic, social, and educational opportunities (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
Colonialism: Control by individuals or groups over the territory or behaviour of other individuals or groups (Horvath, 1972).
Colorblind: Term used to describe personal, group, and institutional policies or practices that do not consider race or ethnicity as a determining factor. The term “colorblind” de-emphasizes or ignores race and ethnicity as a large part of one’s identity (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
Conscious Bias: Overt negative behaviour that can be expressed through physical and verbal harassment or through more subtle means such as exclusion.
Cultural Assimilation: When an individual, family, or group gives up certain aspects of its culture in order to adapt to the dominant culture (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
Cultural Competence: The ability to interact effectively with people of different nationalities, ethnicities, languages, and religions. It depends on awareness of one’s own cultural worldview, knowledge of other cultural practices and worldviews, tolerant attitudes towards cultural differences, and cross-cultural skills. Also refers to a process of learning that leads to the ability of an organization and/or employees to collaborate in a diverse work environment by effectively responding to the challenges and opportunities posed by the presence of social-cultural diversity (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
“In a survey of 2000 managers in 60 countries, the authors found that most managers are not equally strong in all three of these areas of cultural intelligence.”
-Harvard Business Review, 2004
Cultural Intelligence (CQ): The ability to make sense of unfamiliar contexts and then blend in. It has three components: the cognitive, the physical, and the emotional/motivational. While it shares many of the properties of emotional intelligence, CQ goes one step further by equipping a person to distinguish behaviours produced by the culture in question from behaviours that are peculiar to particular individuals and those found in all human beings. In a survey of 2000 managers in 60 countries, the authors found that most managers are not equally strong in all three of these areas of cultural intelligence. (Harvard Business Review, 2004).
Deadname: A trans person’s given or former name that they no longer use, also often referred to as a “legal name.” Refrain from asking about or using someone’s deadname unless it’s absolutely necessary. If it is, ask the person what term they prefer you use to refer to their deadname. While deadname is usually a noun, it’s also used as a verb to refer to the act of using the wrong name for a trans person.
Disability: An evolving concept that results from interactions between people with impairments and environmental or attitudinal barriers that hinder their participation in society (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2006). There are several different types of disabilities including physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and learning (Pulrang, 2020). Although there is some debate about whether chronic illnesses should be considered a disability, an expansive definition of the term is increasingly used.
Diversity: Psychological, physical, and social differences that occur among individuals. This includes but is not limited to race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, age, gender, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, and learning styles. A diverse group is one in which a variety of social and cultural characteristics exist (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
“Almost everyone is likely to experience some form of disability, whether it be temporary or permanent, at some point in their lives.”
-World Health Organization, 2021
Environmental Equity: The reform of inequities and disproportionate impacts that groups in society have faced, especially in the realm of environmental protection and access to nature and the environmental goods that aren’t equally shared.
Equality: Evenly distributed access to resources and opportunities that are necessary for a safe and healthy life; the uniform distribution of access (Kranich, 2007).
Equity: The guarantee of fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. The principle of equity acknowledges that there are historically underserved and underrepresented populations and that fairness regarding these unbalanced conditions is needed to provide effective opportunities to everyone (Haas School of Business, 2020).
Essentialism: The practice of categorizing an entire group based on assumptions about what constitutes the “essence” of that group. Essentialism prevents individuals from remaining open to individual differences within groups (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
Ethnicity: A social construct that divides people into smaller social groups based on characteristics such as values, behavioural patterns, language, political and economic interests, history, and ancestral geographical base (Adams, Bell & Griffin, 2007).
Ethnocentrism: The practice of using a particular ethnic group as a frame of reference, the basis of judgement, or standard criteria from which to view the world. Ethnocentrism favours one ethnic group’s cultural norms and excludes the realities and experiences of other ethnic groups (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
Eurocentrism: The practice of using Europe and European culture as a frame of reference or standard criteria from which to view the world. Eurocentrism favours European cultural norms and excludes the realities and experiences of other cultural groups (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
Feminism: Theory and practice that advocates for educational and occupational equity between men and women. Feminism undermines traditional cultural practices that support the subjugation of women by men and the devaluation of women’s contributions to society (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
First Nation(s): First Nation(s) is a term used to identify Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Métis nor Inuit. This term came into common usage in the 1970s to replace the terms “Indian” and “Indian band,” which many find offensive. First Nations people includes both status and non-status Indians, so there’s a need to be careful with its usage, especially if in reference to programs that are specifically for status Indians (Indigenous Corporate Training Inc., 2016). When referring to specific Indigenous communities, it is preferable to use their community’s name (Queen’s University, 2019). Note that some communities prefer the term Indigenous Peoples.
Gaslighting: A form of psychological manipulation in which a person or a group covertly sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or group, making them question their own memory, perception, or judgement, often evoking in them cognitive dissonance and other changes, including low self-esteem.
Gender: The socially constructed ideas about behaviour, actions, and roles a particular sex performs (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
Gender expression: How people externally communicate or perform their gender identity to others through behaviour, clothing, voice or other perceived characteristics (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008). Society identifies these cues as masculine or feminine, although what is considered masculine or feminine changes over time and varies by culture (Wamsley, 2021).
Genderfluid: A non-binary gender or word to describe someone’s gender that often means someone whose gender fluctuates or is not fixed.
Gender identity: A personal conception of one’s own gender, often in relation to a gender opposition between masculinity and femininity (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
Gender-neutral: Used to denote a unisex or all-gender inclusive space, language, etc. Examples: a gender-neutral bathroom is a bathroom open to people of any gender identity and expression; gender-neutral job descriptions are used to attract qualified, diverse candidates.
Gender Nonconforming: Gender nonconforming (often abbreviated as GNC) refers to gender presentations outside typical gendered expectations. Note that gender nonconforming is not a synonym for non-binary. While many non-binary people are gender nonconforming, many gender-nonconforming people are also cisgender.
Gender-neutral Pronouns: Use this language to describe they/them pronouns and other gender-neutral pronouns such as ze/hir and ey/em. Note: Using gender-neutral pronouns to refer to a person who uses gendered pronouns such as she/her or he/him can often be offensive and feel invalidating. Take care to use the appropriate pronouns for everyone in your interactions. Also, keep in mind that non-binary people don’t always use they/them pronouns and often use she/her, he/him, or other gender-neutral pronouns. See the resources section for more information on gender-neutral pronouns.
Heterosexism: Social structures and practices that serve to elevate and enforce heterosexuality while subordinating or suppressing other forms of sexuality (University of Baltimore, n.d.).
Hispanic: The U.S. Census Bureau defines Hispanic as people who classify themselves as Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino, which also includes the subgroups Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano, Puerto Rican, or Cuban (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
Be specific. If you’re writing about the experiences of Cuban and Mexican Canadians, don’t lump them together under a term like “Hispanics”. If you’re discussing research conducted on adults between 65-80, refer to this age range instead of using a term like “older people”. It’s also good practice to describe people positively, that is, talking about who they are rather than what they’re not, like “nonwhite.” Finally, avoid using language that labels people. Sometimes when adjectives such as disabled or elderly are used as nouns like the disabled and the elderly, they become labels that take on a derogatory intent.
Homophobia: A fear of individuals who are not heterosexual. Often results in hostile, offensive, or discriminatory action against a person because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer-identified, or because they are perceived to be. These actions may be verbal or physical and can include insulting or degrading comments, taunts or “jokes”, and excluding or refusing to cooperate with others because of their sexuality (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
Identity Group: A particular group, culture, or community with which an individual identifies or shares a sense of belonging. Individual agency is crucial for identity development; no person should be pressured to identify with any existing group, but instead have the freedom to self-identify on their own terms (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
Imperialism: A policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force.
Implicit Bias: Implicit biases are negative associations that people unknowingly hold. They are expressed automatically and without conscious awareness. Many studies have indicated that implicit biases affect individuals’ attitudes and actions, thus creating real-world implications, even though individuals may not even be aware that those biases exist within themselves. Implicit biases may be held by an individual, group, or institution and can have negative or positive consequences.
Inclusive Language: Words or phrases that include all potential audiences. Inclusive language does not assume or connote the absence of any group. An example of gender-inclusive language is using “police officers” instead of “policemen” (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
Indian: “Indian” is the legal identity of an Indigenous person who is registered under the Indian Act in Canada. This term is derogatory and outdated to some, so take care when using it. Some situations in which you might use this term include:
When citing the titles of literature, art, etc.
When it appears in a quotation.
When discussing legal or constitutional matters and statistical information collected using the categories below.
There are three categories in Canada:
Status Indians: Those who are registered under the Indian Act.
Non-status Indians: Those who have two distinct qualities—they lack status under the Indian Act and they have “Indian” heritage. In other words, people who have lost their status under the Indian Act or whose ancestors were never registered or lost their status.
Treaty Indians: Those who are members of a community whose ancestors signed a treaty with the Crown and are entitled to treaty benefits as a result (Indigenous Corporate Training Inc., 2016).
Indigenous: In Canada: A collective noun for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis that’s growing in popularity (Indigenous Corporate Training Inc., 2016). Internationally: A term that broadly refers to peoples of long settlement and connection to specific lands who have been adversely affected by incursions by industrial economies, displacement, and settlement of their traditional territories by others (As cited in Weeber, 2021). When used in this sense, the word should be capitalized, i.e., Indigenous, Indigenous Peoples. Another meaning includes: Existing, growing, or produced naturally in a region or country (As cited in Weeber, 2021).
Seek and use people’s preferences when it comes to pronouns, names, and terminology. If people within a particular group disagree on the term they prefer, mention the different terms at the outset, acknowledge that there may be disagreement about preference, and use the one that is most often used within that group.
Individual Racism: The beliefs, attitudes, and actions of individuals that support or perpetuate racism. This can occur at both a conscious and unconscious level and can be active or passive. Examples include telling a racist joke, using a racial epithet, or believing in the inherent superiority of White people (Adams, Bell & Griffin, 2007).
Intersex: Someone born with reproductive or sexual anatomy and/or chromosomes that don’t fit into strict binary understandings of sex. Intersex people can be of any gender and may or may not consider themselves trans.
Institutional Racism: Refers specifically to the ways in which institutional policies and practices create different outcomes for different racial groups. The institutional policies may never mention any racial group, but their effect is to create advantages for white people and oppression and disadvantage for people of colour. An example includes city sanitation policies that disproportionately concentrate trash transfer stations and other environmental hazards in communities of colour (Potapchuk, Leiderman, Bivens & Major, 2005).
Internalized Racism: Occurs in a racist system when a racial group oppressed by racism supports the supremacy and dominance of the dominating group by participating in the set of attitudes, behaviours, social structures, and ideologies that underpin the dominating group’s power (Bivens, 1995).
Intersectionality: As coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, this is a framework for understanding how different aspects of a person’s social and political identities combine to create unique modes of discrimination and privilege. These identities can include gender, race, class, sexuality, ability, and physical appearance. Intersectionality identifies advantages and disadvantages that are felt by people due to this combination of factors (The National Multicultural Institute, 2008).
Inuit: A group of culturally similar Indigenous Peoples whose traditional territories are in the Arctic regions of Canada, Alaska, and Greenland. The singular form of Inuit is “Inuk” and because the translation of Inuit is “the people,” adding “people” after it is unnecessary (Queen’s University, 2019).
Invisible Disability, Hidden Disability: An umbrella term that captures a whole spectrum of hidden disabilities or challenges that are primarily neurological in nature. Invisible disability, or hidden disability, is defined as disabilities that are not immediately apparent.
Latino/a: Often the preferred noun or adjective for a person from, or whose ancestors were from, a Spanish-speaking land or culture or from Latin America. Latina is the feminine form (AP Stylebook, 2020).
Latinx: A gender-neutral alternative to Latino and Latina; an inclusive way of pushing back against the default masculine in Spanish (as cited in Vincenty, 2021). Pronounced “Latin-ex.”
LGBTQ+: An abbreviation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (or questioning), the acronym LGBTQ+ got its start in the 1940s and 1950s. This is when the term gay started being used more frequently to describe those who are attracted to people of the same gender (10 Tampa Bay, 2021). The term lesbian became more commonplace in the 1970s as gay women sought to differentiate themselves.
Bisexual was added to the acronym in the 1990s and transgender was added soon after. Ending the term in a “Q” became standard in the last decade to recognize those who identify as queer or questioning (10 Tampa Bay, 2021). Now, LGBTQIA, LGBTQ2SIA, or LGBTQ+ is preferred, in which the “2S” refers to "Two-Spirit", “I” means intersex, “A” denotes asexual, and “+” nods to these and other identities.
“We are building products that people with very diverse backgrounds use, and I think we all want our company makeup to reflect the makeup of the people who use our products.”
—Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook
Marginalization: The treatment of a person, group, or concept as insignificant or peripheral.
Métis: The Métis are a Canadian Indigenous community with a long history. They were not classified as “Indians” under Canadian law until recently, and they are still not considered First Nations. This term can be used singularly or collectively. Unless you’re quoting a name or source that doesn’t use it, use the acute accent over the “e” when writing about Métis (Queen’s University, 2019).
Misgender: The act of gendering someone incorrectly. This often involves using gendered words that are inappropriate or the wrong pronouns.
Neurodiverse: An umbrella term that refers to individuals who have neurological variations, which include but are not limited to autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. However, Judy Singer, who coined the term, proposes that we are all neurodiverse because no two people are exactly the same (Neurodiversity Hub, n.d.)
Neutrois: A non-binary gender. A word to describe someone whose gender is neutral or who has no gender.
Non-binary/Nonbinary: An umbrella term for genders other than man and woman. This is also a term for a specific gender. While non-binary is considered a trans identity, not everyone who is non-binary considers themselves trans. Be aware that Indigenous communities and communities of colour have other words to describe gender variance. Sometimes these terms can be included in the non-binary umbrella and sometimes they cannot. Consult experts from these communities regarding this.
According to a 27-country Ipsos survey, those who describe themselves as transgender, non-binary, non-conforming, genderfluid, or in a way other than male or female make up 4% of Gen Z vs. 2% of Millennials, 1% of Gen X and less than 1% of Boomers (Ipsos, 2021).
People/Person of Colour (POC): This is not a term that refers to real biological or scientific distinctions between people, but the common experience of being targeted and oppressed by racism. While each oppressed group is affected by racism differently and each group maintains its own unique identity and culture, there is also the recognition that racism has the potential to unite oppressed people in a collective of resistance. For this reason, many individuals who identify as members of racially oppressed groups also claim the political identity of being People of Colour. This in no way diminishes their specific cultural or racial identity; rather it is an affirmation of the multiple layers of identity of every individual. This term stands in contrast to triggering labels like “non-white” and “minority” (Office of Racial and Ethnic Concerns of Unitarian Universalist Association, 2007).
Hands lined up along a yellow wall
Performative Allyship: This is when someone from a non-marginalized group (White, able-bodied, etc.) professes to support and be in solidarity with a marginalized group in a way that either isn’t helpful or that actively harms that group. Performative allyship refuses to engage with the complexity below the surface or say anything new. It refuses to acknowledge any personal responsibility for systemic issues.
Pronouns: A word that is used instead of a noun or noun phrase. Examples include you, we, she/her, he/him, they/them, that, and it.
Transgender: A term used for someone whose gender is not (exclusively) the one they were assigned at birth. Transgender is an adjective and should not be used as a noun. Be aware that Indigenous communities and communities of colour have other words to describe gender variance. Sometimes these terms can be included in the transgender umbrella and sometimes they cannot. Consult experts from these communities in regard to this.
Transition: The social, legal, and/or medical process of aligning one’s life with one’s gender. This can (but does not always) include changing one’s name and pronouns; altering dress, speech, and mannerisms; updating documents and legal registries; and seeking medical treatment to change physical traits.
Two-spirit: A translation of the Anishinaabemowin term niizh manidoowag, two-spirit refers to a person who embodies both a masculine and feminine spirit (Filice, 2020). The term was coined by Indigenous LGBTQ+ leaders at the Third Annual Intertribal Native American/First Nations Gay and Lesbian Conference in Winnipeg in 1990 (Pruden & Salway, 2020). Two-spirit is used by some Indigenous peoples to describe their gender, sexual, and/or spiritual identity (Filice, 2020).
"A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone. "
—Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet
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References
What is? Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Sonya Barlow. LinkedIn, 2020.
Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace. ESSEC Business School.
Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters. McKinsey & Company, 2020.