Diversity Rules Magazine

Jim Koury is a seeker of personal truth, and desires to empower oth- ers to find their own personal truth, whatever it may be. He is also an ac vist who is not afraid to speak his mind, and ruffle some feath- ers, if necessary. His main objec ve is to get people to think and think for themselves. He espouses Aristotle's mantra, "It is the mark of an educated mind to en- tertain a thought without accep ng it." Jim does not force his views on others but just puts them out there for folks to think about and discard if they wish. Welcome to the April edi on of Diversity Rules Mag- azine. Wow, we have trekked through the first quar- ter of 2022 already. It is blas ng by us fast! But that means warmer weather is ahead of us, and hopeful- ly, the end of this horrific pandemic that has plagued us for over 2 years now. We certainly need normalcy back, but it appears it may be on its way (?). Fingers crossed. This month's feature is one I am very pleased about. I received a press release about the return of NYC Pride in all its glory. The first in-person march will be held for the first me in 3 years, and that is just wonderful news. NYC Pride is one that I always thor- oughly enjoy. I love the throngs of people just having a great me celebra ng US. The theme of this year's fes vi es is "Unapologe cal- ly Us." It certainly is an appropriate theme given the horrific laws being passed against our trans brothers and sisters, and more generally, against the en re LG- BTQ+ popula on. We must con nue to be steadfast in our resolve to beat back the prejudice and hate that emanates from those who would have us return to the closet, and take away all the hard-fought rights won over the last few decades. We have news for our detractors ... WE WILL NEVER STOP FIGHTING! Never, never, ever. NYC Pride Execu ve Director Sandra Pérez. Pérez, who was appointed Execu ve Director of NYC Pride in November 2021, sums it up best -- "Compound- ing these struggles is the onslaught of legisla on around the country that directly targets LGBTQIA+ individuals. Despite these challenges and a acks, we are here to tell the country and the world: we will not be erased. We will stand together to face these a acks on our LGBTQIA+ siblings across the country and around the world. We will con nue to love and live our truth and be our complete selves - and we are not going to apologize for it." No, we will never turn back. We will never apologize for who we are. We must fight and fight hard, espe- cially this fall, as the poli cal winds, at the moment, appear to be against progressive policies and the Democrats. We can change that trajectory, however, IF WE ALL GET OUT AND VOTE against the forces who work just as hard against us. This month's issue features some great ar cles, as usual. Along with the regular monthly columnists, other ar cles will certainly inform and educate. I hope you enjoy the issue, and as always, please spread the word about Diversity Rules! If you have not yet go en vaccinated and/or boost- ed, PLEASE DO. We are on the other side of this pan- demic, heading for endemic status. With each shot that goes in an arm, we get one step closer to being over this craziness and ge ng our lives back. There is no excuse for not doing it, not only for your benefit but for those who are vulnerable and immunocom- promised. Do it for THEM, as well as for your general welfare. Have a great Easter/Passover season, and we will see you again in May! Peace out, peeps. My Two Cents A Message From The Editor James R. Koury, Editor/Publisher Diversity Rules Magazine | Apr 2022 | 3

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