Broadway is discriminating, and I'm over it

Hey everyone! I've been debating whether to share this, but I can't stay quiet. I need to speak out about some concerns. There are two non-profit organizations, Maestra and Muse, aimed at promoting women, non-binary people, and BIPOC in musical theater. While I support their mission, I feel they are unintentionally excluding others.
Recently, they offered a Wicked internship only to their members, but my profile wasn’t approved. I believe inclusivity should mean opportunities for all, not just specific groups. This isn’t an attack on these organizations, but a call for true equality in our industry. Let’s create opportunities for EVERYONE.
#Inclusivity #Equality #Broadway #MusicalTheater #EqualOpportunities #SpeakOut #Representation #Fairness
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[@Anthonybevilacquaviolin]

When you audition for a major symphony orchestra, you register, and you are given a number. You are brought into the venue behind a screen, you sit down, you play and you leave. The audition panel does not see you. They don't know what you look like, Your religion, Or your gender. All they know is your number and your sound. Only until after you're hired Is everything else revealed. In a perfect world this would be the standard practice in every industry. Racial, gender, and any other bias would be impossible.

[@Carrie957]

Yours was my favorite comment!

[@Anthonybevilacquaviolin]

@@Carrie957 I speak the truth...

[@amybarnhart6012]

Talent is talent. I SHOULD be passed over for a job if I'm not the most talented of the applicants. I SHOULD NOT be awarded a position because I'm a woman or I know someone on the hiring team. Every job should be given to the person who has the greatest ability. Period.

[@KevinLynchNJ]

Thank you Amy. This is certainly my point of this whole thing! Leading with appearance, race, or any other criteria other than merit, skill, ability is a dangerous path to keep doing down.

[@samkeiser9776]

I’m a layman, I don’t pay too much attention to Broadway, so I’m just going off the info you’ve said in this video. But I think a lot of people misunderstand the purposes of Groups like Muse and Maestra, they don’t exist to be “inclusive” it’s to make up for a difference of privilege, you could argue where that line is, but as far as regular opportunities go, systems are biased against the marginalized. Another thing is that it’s not like it’s a step back from a point where discrimination doesn’t happen, discrimination is still a common problem in the US, hence why any affirmative action would be necessary. Labels don’t define people, but they’re still useful words because society does care about them, whether people will admit it or not, they’ll probably stay relevant until nearly no one actually cares about things like that, the civil rights act was passed 59 years ago, to believe that America has shaken off its racism and discrimination when people who lived during Jim Crow are still alive is naive. A person shouldn’t see other people as labels, but they’re useful words nonetheless. Yes it is still possible for someone to be a white man, and not be more well off than a person that is in a marginalized group, but honestly I think this is just the wrong target of that frustration, when systems that are fully willing to exclusively select the most privileged people exist, and are often the normal systems. Muse and Maestra wouldn’t be selecting for women and PoC directors if they women and PoC could just as easily go through normal channels.

[@calebwilliamsmusician]

👏👏👏

[@calebwilliamsmusician]

Here's how I see it - we've got two organizations whose sole mission is to provide opportunities to the underprivileged. If this industry is largely dominated by white males, isn't it reasonable to have groups dedicated to assisting those who typically have fewer opportunities, like people of color and women? As a white male, applying for these programs seems a bit misguided, because they were set up with a different target group in mind. I understand how this might come across as discrimination, but that's not the case. No one is depriving you of anything - these programs are simply not aimed at you. If you're still securing jobs, and now people of color and women are as well, it appears to me that we're moving towards a more balanced playing field.

[@TheVJTiticaca]

inclusiveness is a paradox because it only excist when you exclude something. No Label Compassion! The sadness truly is that these organisations have to excistm their only intention should be to declare themsleves not needed anymore, because than there woud be a perfect world. I completley agree with you and how you word it. There is just one essential that may not be overlooked and that is, the obstacle race to oppertunities, We all get the same start and finish but some are dealt with no obstacles (the priveleged white cis men) and some get all the obstacles and some more (trans men and woman of colour) So the need is truly there, a priveleged white cis man stands up from his bed and can seize any oppertunity or even create one. His Neigbour a trans human of colour has the same drive and willingness but has to give it so much more energy because of the obstacles put in place with the best willingness and cardio they could never meet the finish. To be able to get that same oppertunity, to even the playing field composate for what is croocked these institutes are needed, It would be an interesting case study to see how many obstacles they clear or unwillingly created one extra, Till we see no labels and follow compassion the world is a paradox,

[@vigilante9883]

So proud of you for speaking up about this. It's definitely a touchy subject, but the sooner we get over that fact, the better we can diminish the hypocrisy and promote REAL equality

[@KevinLynchNJ]

Exactly, conversations must be had and continue to be had. That's how progress happens.

[@Schwansonian_Townsonian]

Love what you are doing Kevin!!

[@alexanderzamora5930]

This is what is happening! The hiring seems to be based now on showing that the company or organization is more inclusive in its hiring but excluding others based on certain parameters. Our world is getting crazy.

[@KevinLynchNJ]

Exactly! It’s hypocritical

[@jodiewerner9816]

I love the statement I’ll make a new bridge 😊

[@dukeofrodtown1705]

10,000% agree with everything you're saying! I too would want such an opportunity, only for the sake of having the talent and skill saw in me, and I think other folks, especially those with disabilities would want this too. That's what most producing companies, producers, and directors can do without bias, and while following the law and regulations set out as per these laws. Well said Kevin!

[@DavidLopez-nr7wp]

I couldn’t agree more.

[@taragiovannone2431]

Thank you for speaking on this topic. Totally agree with you!

[@genesis631]

I think I understand what you mean. The intention has been good, but it's missed the mark. It isn't getting to the root of the systemtic issues. It's an oversimplified and lazy fix. Making things like musical theater accessible earlier in school to districts that otherwise wouldn't have access would have made a bigger difference to me growing up than it does now. That Morgan Freeman quote is seen as too "all lives matter", but I think we get what it means in the sense that it seems that our art is solely defined by our race now. We're not monolithic. It shuts people out and puts us in boxes we don't want to be in. It's important to teach theater done by people with diverse backgrounds, but make it accessible to kids who can't afford theater or access it for any reason regardless of race.

[@carlosnavarroeguiluz2276]

Dude youre totally right. My vision of this is that life is a circle… if you get to the extrem you reach the other side… in the intention to be inclusive they are becoming racists for being in the extreme. Im a mexican fan of your work im sorry if I have gramatical mistakes. Keep going Kevin, your our next Sondheim.

[@KevinLynchNJ]

They totally are extreme!!

[@Chelaxim]

It's gonna backfire on them. Not every black or first nations person is visibly black or first nations. Guy I met on Grindr looks white but is first nations and is one of less than 10 people in his tribe that is fluent in the language and the youngest in his 40s. He angered some of the elders because he's working with anthropologists to preserve the language...but also won't teach it to their family if they don't have interest in learning.

[@isaacfulk9547]

Absolutely spot on! This speaks so well to this topic but also to do much going on in the world currently. We can’t correct injustice with more injustice. Thanks for speaking on this subject with courage. It’s so vital these discussions occur.

[@SilverlingVirtualStudio]

I’ve 100% lost out on jobs because I’m not a checkbox. It’s fascinating to read the comments and see how many people are experiencing the same thing. Thanks for making this video, you’re absolutely correct. This is “fixing” a problem by inverting the problem.

[@Blackkittymom]

I support you sir. As a woman, I would feel all kinds of icky if I got opportunities based on my sex. I want opportunity because someone saw the worth in my talent, not because they feel sorry for me. That’s condescending as hell. And it’s hypocrisy if I were to get an opportunity based on just that if there were someone more qualified for that job that didn’t share those immutable characteristics. It’s taking so many steps backwards. Applause for speaking out.

[@TheVJTiticaca]

yes spot on, as human you want to stand up and be counted like all the rest, No label! Compassion!

[@jasonreesvocal]

I really appreciated this video. I'm a huge fan of Kevin. I've enjoyed reading the various responses, and the excellent points and counterpoints made. What is not helpful imho is the framing of there being an "oppressive class", and projecting onto them privilege or anger at getting challenged or being stuck in the past. Its exactly the divisiveness that is regressive. Yes there are a minority who would seek to oppress. Yes there are historical wrongs and we need to be vigilant to how systems might perpetuate them. Yes there will be complacency and inertia to change from the unaffected. But when someone presents an argument you disagree with it is better to focus on the argument rather than dividing people into allies/oppressors.

[@KevinLynchNJ]

Agreed! There is a lot of this going on now in the US with the Affirmative Action decision, universities, DEI programs etc... The irony of these programs is they have to turn down others on the basis of an outward appearance in order to create a visual balance and represenation of the U.S. population. Which in something like theatre and art, you now put the art second and have put up walls and more division. It's just discrimination and segregation with new clothes, still the same underlying premise. What is even more frustrating is how well adopted these practices are. Challenging them or reaching out to these people for a conversation is met with stonewalling, gatekeeping, hostility, or silence.

[@isabellaaraque5293]

lmao I can’t with this be fr

[@isabellaaraque5293]

I’d love if we could ignore color but you can’t just not acknowledge history. It is a fact there are marginalized groups, we can’t just wake up one day and pretend none of these things are happening. Creating job opportunities for those who are in a less privileged position is what equity is all about…

[@Blackkittymom]

Except this is ART. The key to making good, lasting art is to find the best people to make it. Putting people in positions purely based off sex or skin color (I will speak as a woman here which Maestra targets and one of the groups he’s speaking on) does not guarantee that you’re getting good quality, just giving people opportunity. What he’s suggesting is far better where you start early and send resources to youth who want to pursue these things, get good at them and compete for those jobs and investment. Broadway as an art form is struggling to stay afloat and part of the problem is very bad art that no one wants to pay for. You can’t ask people to pay for a luxury good like Broadway which is usually over 100 dollars a person and 2.5 hours of your time to sit through something bad. It won’t happen. I won’t go see new shows for that reason. I can’t afford to risk wasting that kind of money. Why do you think people go to revivals so much? They know they’re getting a quality product already. On the other end of things here’s where this idea actually gets dangerous: My brother is a top of his class gastroenterologist which is one of the most difficult specialties in medicine. As a white man, he was not handed much in the way of help although he kept all his grades at a 4.0, took out 400k in student loans and got into college to go through about 15 years of schooling and getting what is considered genius scores on his medical boards. Did it all himself. Now, one of his best friends, a black woman, admittedly got into school through an affirmative action program. She barely passed her classes and took a lot for granted because it was given to her. Now you tell me truthfully. Who do you want saving your life? The doctor who worked himself to death because it meant something and he was truly dedicated and is clearly committed and at the top of his field or do you want the doctor who just barely made it through because they weren’t quite as serious about it due to just being handed the opportunity? This stuff matters and has real world consequences. No one is saying there has not been a racial issue in the country that needs fixing. Equity and DEI are not the answers. They cause resentment and suspicion. People wonder if the minority they’re seeing in a job is nothing but a diversity hire and they tend to not trust the job they’re doing in a lot of cases. And that’s not fair either. People want to pay for what they know is the best product they can get. Your argument is one a lot of people use and is disingenuous and short sighted at best. It’s doing nothing but harm to a real problem and is a flimsy band aid solution. Also I want to point out… Broadway has ALWAYS been diverse. This is so unnecessary it’s ridiculous. I’m gonna guess I’m older than you and have been around the theatre world longer than you. The amount of female and racial minority musicians I know might shock you. This is unnecessary virtue signaling and just makes people angry and is most definitely blatant discrimination and illegal on top of that. These companies will find themselves in lawsuits and this entire thing will backfire to everyone’s detriment.

[@isabellaaraque5293]

@@Blackkittymom Broadway has ALWAYS been diverse? Excuse me? You are obviously a white privileged person. You clearly have no idea what it’s like to be a person of color in this world.

[@jackkalishdemaris]

@@Blackkittymom be fr. You’re first point about broadway putting out bad art is entirely subjective. The art today may not reflect the needs and demands from the audience of your demographic or age? Maybe there’s a reason these shows exist today? Maybe it’s because people want them to exist and there is a market for them? To further analyze what you said in your first point, I think it’s unfair to criticize art that has been rejected and ignored and underperformed on the stage - because of amazing work recently to promote new artists with differing perspectives you must give art time to grow and develop. The white perspective has had centuries in America to develop art and has had a safe space to develop art while the opportunity for marginalized groups is now finally getting that space so you can’t expect it to hit the mark every time maybe? You know how many shows from the white perspective then and now get turned away because it’s bad? For your second point, one story cannot reflect reality. You have no idea the specifics of this students situation and whether she was truly dedicated or not. Understanding the complexity that life brings and individuals stories are necessary but you CANNOT use one story to represent the entire situation. Also, being a doctor and somebody who is incompetent in a life/death situation is WILDLY different from a bad performer Thirdly, I think it’s pretty gross to use age to diminish the ideas of the younger generations. It’s exactly what happened when you were younger(older people diminishing your ideas because of your age) and to continue doing that to younger people today means you learned nothing. Also to make the argument that diversity on broadway has always existed and has always been okay is so factually un true it’s insane. I don’t feel the need to provide the infinite amount of data to show otherwise about that. And to even humble the idea of black and marginalized representation on broadway, let’s take a look at the countless stereotypes and cookie cutter roles they have been put into which if you agree with Kevin, you seem to not like either.

[@jackkalishdemaris]

@@isabellaaraque5293 sorry I didn’t see your response until after I put mine out :)

[@DJGNYC]

Very brave of you to take on this topic…quite articulate & thoughtful. It’s a conversation that really needs to be had so consider yourself a pioneer. I have several friends who play in Broadway pits (including both male/female & non-white folks) & I will be interested to bring this up with them to get their take on it from the inside. Stay the course & keep up the great work.

[@KevinLynchNJ]

Thank you, I'd like to know what the consensus is if you can report back. It's a hard conversation to have, but that doesn't mean we as a people shoudn't have it. Most of my industry friend groups have expressed similar sentiments but never publically; only via phone calls or private message. There is a genuine concern that if they were to say something to others that they would be ostracised from the industry and have a label slapped on them because they have an opinion or view different from the masses. We should all feel and be able to share in differing views without the hostility, silencing, and stonewalling. But this doesn't seem like the case unfortunately.

[@kay-no]

@@KevinLynchNJ I swear you should take a step out of ur bubble, DAMN dude

[@kay-no]

@@ChristopherLynn-lr2wm speaking a misguided opinion but unwilling to learn or understand the broader and deeper meaning behind decisions is called staying in a bubble

[@kay-no]

@@ChristopherLynn-lr2wm never said anything for him to do whatever you said 💀

[@jackkalishdemaris]

You could make this argument for so many important things on broadway that have made important progress. With this argument I should be able to audition for Aaron Burr in Hamilton or Micheal Jackson in the MJ Musical. I agree that we need to figure out the root of the issue but we need to stop attacking efforts today to bring in more perspectives that currently have less privileges today. Also, color blindness is a dangerous idea to set and again, combating racism as white people is to listen and let poc have voices so we can listen to them. It’s not about us. Edit: Another thing to add is that opportunity for white people ain’t goin anywhere. The fact is we will always have opportunity and privilege because the entire system is designed for us. These additional resources which seek to provide opportunity in a system created against marginalized people will not remove the current bigoted system which provides opportunity for the oppressive class. Someone else in the comments said it wrong.. you’re arguing against the wrong thing here. You’re arguing against “imperfect” steps towards a better future rather than combatting the systemic problems which I acknowledge you mention in the video but by targeting these programs you are doing more harm than good and the mass amounts of comments seem to agree with this idea which is unhelpful, unproductive, and gets in the way of real work trying to get done.

[@jackkalishdemaris]

Just to follow this up one quote that I thing wraps it up perfectly is, “ignoring race will not equalize a society that is racially unequal…” - justice Sonia Sotomayor.

[@isabellaaraque5293]

@@jackkalishdemaris thank you.

[@calebwilliamsmusician]

FINALLY someone here with common sense! 👏

[@nathanielforvare1426]

I think the problem with this mentality is the idea that there could ever be a "most qualified" or "most talented" person for a job. At the scale you're talking about, there are *so* many different people who could get the job and it will always inevitably come down to arbitrary factors. That in *some* cases that factor is race, in a sincere attempt to undo systems of discrimination, is not a bad thing so long as it doesn't exclude other people from getting work--and as you've said, you're still getting plenty! "It's perpetuating the same crap that got us in this mess in the first place" is such a false comparison fr. Inequity in hiring is only the symptom of significantly worse forms of oppression than what you're talking about here, and you don't need me to tell you that edit: this guy also seems to think we're already living in a post racial world, and therefore anymore acknowledgement of race or identity is putting us back. He'd be right if there was *truly* no discrimination against woman and bipoc anymore; conscious hiring like this would absolutely be unfair. Sadly, we are not yet living in such a utopia, and therefore measures like these are helpful and necessary to help open doors for people who need them. That's all these organizations are doing

[@introusas]

I appreciate your comment too! I totally agree. Racism is still a huge issue and people who can’t see that are not looking past the uppermost surface level. Look underneath that thin layer and there is still so much to unpack and undo. It’s really disappointing when someone you thought was an ally turns out to be severely misguided. And judging by the comments, it seems he is only liking ones that agree with him and not engaging with anyone who tries to break down this issue further. It’s sad. If this were a situation where ONLY POC & women/AFABs are getting opportunities, that would be different. But clearly there are still a huge amount of options for cis white males. How are you going to make this field inclusive if the odds are stacked against the minorities? These two programs are GUARANTEEING people an equal, fair chance at getting hired, which they don’t have in the rest of the field. I think it’s totally fair. It’s a bit ridiculous when cis white men claim that any progress for other groups is taking something away from them. No, this is just what equality looks like.

[@introusas]

Not to mention the way that this country is heading makes it CLEAR that they are trying to make cishet white men the rulers of society once again (which let’s be real, they ALWAYS were). In this new age, women are still subservient, black people are still violent/lazy/uneducated, LGBT people are groomers who shouldn’t be shoving it down kids’ throats, and cishet white men are the only rational people in the equation. To claim that we live in an equal society proves that you are NOT paying attention to what is happening all around us. We are skyrocketing backwards in terms of social progress and equality, and Kevin is making an active choice to stay uneducated and not be an ally to marginalized people. Disgraceful

[@introusas]

@@ChristopherLynn-lr2wm Absolutely not. Different groups have different needs in order to succeed.

[@introusas]

It sounds like these are just two organizations that were designed to help less privileged people get opportunities of their own. Now, I’m not here to argue because there is enough hatred on the internet and I don’t have the mental space for it right now, so if anyone wants to discuss this with me, please be respectful and kind when you do so. But, I think if this is a career dominated by white males, what’s the issue with having two organizations designed to help people with less opportunities? It seems to me like a fool’s errand to apply for these programs as a white male when they are designed for AFABs and POC. I can understand why it feels like discrimination, but it really isn’t. Nothing is being taken from you. These groups just aren’t made for you. If you’re still getting jobs, and POC and AFABs are also getting jobs, it sounds like everything is fair.

[@introusas]

See, there are two groups a casting agent could fall into: One who is biased towards white, cis male actors (which isn’t everyone, of course, but this is a problem that occurs at a large scale in every single career field), and these people are more likely to be working for regular agencies that cast all different types of people. Then there are people working for these organizations you mentioned, and their whole purpose there is to give voice to marginalized groups, where they are historically underrepresented. Of course they are going to favor marginalized voices over white cis male voices, as there are for more opportunities for you and I’m sure far many other talented and deserving AFABs & POC who are just as, if not more, qualified. Trust me, no one is trying to take your rights or opportunities away. We all want equality, that’s all. That starts on smaller scales. Imagine how people would feel if these groups, which were STARTED for the purpose of uplifting AFABs and POC, just went and hired a cis white male anyway. What even is the purpose of the organization then?! I wish you would acknowledge that a white cis male like yourself will not understand the firsthand experiences of marginalized groups. We are not demanding special privilege, we are demanding equal privilege. Don’t you want to support that? I started watching you in high school and have really appreciated a lot of your content. But I really hope you think about this and listen to everyone here who is providing alternate views. Please keep your mind open. Best of luck, Kevin

[@calebwilliamsmusician]

FINALLY, someone with common sense! 👏

[@kay-no]

Omfg I’m so glad you commented this. I was getting concerned by these other comments. It’s really sad that equity is being treated as “discriminatory”

[@introusas]

@@kay-no Yes, and it’s unfortunate that he seems to have doubled down. I haven’t watched his most recent video but from the sound of it, he has continued harassing these people. Very disappointing and frankly embarrassing. We all need to do better.

[@introusas]

@@ChristopherLynn-lr2wm ….You have that completely backwards.

[@Meme-go9ts]

👏👏👏👏👏🙌🙌🙌 Excellent video. Thank you for speaking up!!

[@Carrie957]

Thank you for your bravery! Hypocrisy is hypocrisy.

[@jackkalishdemaris]

Bruh this ain’t brave. I’m writing so many comments because these opinions piss me off so much. This ain’t helping anybody at all y’all just causing more harm for a theater community I care deeply about

[@jackkalishdemaris]

@@Blackkittymom if you haven’t seen my original comment already I recommend doing so as it lays out most of my opinion on this matter. First off, freedom of speech I can say whatever the fuck I want. This opinion does cause harm to the change we’re trying to create. I never said disagreeing was inherently harmful, I was implying that this argument does not do ANYTHING to help the current problems. Also to say my feelings are “overwrought and unnecessary” is in my opinion disgusting. By saying that it tells me you truly do not care about solving the issue which leads me to my next point of concern which is when you say “No one likes dealing with it.” Dealing with WHAT??? Systemic racism and inequality? You’re shitting me right? Finally, no one is gonna take your job. Your reputation is on you. If you choose to argue against equity programs that have ABSOLUTELY. Nothing. To do with you then fuck it that’s on you. Also… never said y’all can’t have an opinion but just like you have the right to speak your opinion I have the right to call out it’s ignorance :)

[@keithwalls6316]

Totally agree!

[@Carrie957]

Well said!!!

[@claudioleon4914]

There’s a lot of hypocrisy these days! I totally agree with your statement

[@marissamoore740]

We are going backward. Absolutely. And people are so afraid to say it. Thank you for saying it.

[@jackkalishdemaris]

We’re going backwards because of things like this video lining up conveniently with the Supreme Court decision.. these steps are just the beginning in mass pushback from major civil rights gains that are possibly losing the right of preservation. Disgusting.

[@wizzy615]

At 3:40 you hit the nail on the head. You're getting work. The people mentioned in those websites are facing more discrimination and might have a lot harder time getting work. I think those websites could be more inclusive, but it seems to me that you don't actually need those websites and are salty that you found 2 places that don't want your listing. No one is forced to use those websites for casting so no, its not illegal

[@wizzy615]

@@Blackkittymom Again. Not illegal because no one is forcing anyone to use that website. And I have better things to do than read that word vomit you spewed on the page

[@culturedredneckgarage3784]

I'd say you're spot on there Kevin. It's a shame that we've come to a point where character, personality, true talent & skill, as well as many other admirable qualities in an individual are pushed aside in order to fit some sort of agenda that has, lets face it, become way to politicized in todays culture. What it will ultimately do is stifle the creative process, diminish enjoyment of those paying good money to experience the theater, and will create art that is mediocre at best.....which sucks, because you won't draw ticket holders to view what should be wonderful art, that has a half-assed political agenda attached to it. It just isn't the same as a show that is written and cast with those that serve the role the best.

[@janinek5258]

The thing is that everyone is going to be biased towards people that are similar to you, including race and gender. Racism runs deep in our country, so even though its getting better, the amount of white people who've been in the industry for a long time now who are more likely to chose other white people (not intentionally but subconsciously). So white people still have the advantage. In order to break the norm and push for racial equality vs racial blindness, you have to push for POC to get in the door to create a more even playing field. It's all affirmative action. I dont know the most about it but I recommend looking into professionals in that field to to at least have a better understanding as to why they are doing this. It's also just one shadowing job. It doesnt seem that dangerous to me

[@kittee6409]

I completely agree, Kevin. Thank you for speaking out about this.

[@emmeb_]

Kevin, I loved your music videos, but your blinders are so glaringly WHITE lmao Maestra and Muse wouldn't be needed if employers followed the law. Hell, there wouldn't be a law if sex, gender, and race didn't make a difference. It's quite telling you posted this rant when Affirmative Action was struck down by the SC. If you can't see the correlation, I would suggest you talk less and read and listen more. You probably won't bc this isn't the first time you complain about this lmao Anyway, I hope you *do not* get the internship bc it wasn't created for you, whether you agree with it or not. Some opportunities aren't for you, and that's OK. Maybe ask yourself how these communities have felt for *hundreds of years* of being treated like you claim to be treated at this very moment. Best in all you do.

[@Qveen_Antione]

Ummmmm 🧐

[@calebwilliamsmusician]

Ikr? It’s giving whiny privileged white boy.

[@kay-no]

I think you’re misunderstanding what this is about. Many aren’t picking candidates because “oh you’re part of a marginalized group so you get this job”. This is just one of many ways to fast forward and squash the gap of privilege. To be a cis gay white man in this industry puts a person a step way further in than other groups. If you’re unable to recognize that either though then I suppose your fundamental beliefs are just different from mine. POC got no time to waste, what’s wrong with getting a foot in the door when fundamentally the group’s access to the arts is already so limited. This is not about “discrimination”, this is equity

[@KevinLynchNJ]

How so? You mention this is a “belief” you hold rather than what you’re saying being rooted in fact. 79% of the NBA is black, does that mean we should look to shoot for parity there and include more white, Asian, Hispanic and mixed races in the NBA? 14% of the construction workforce is women, but I don’t see an organization advocating for more women representation in construction. Or the fact that 80% of the stage managers, assistant stage managers, and costume designers in off-Broadway and off-off Broadway productions are women. Would you argue that we need parity and more men in those positions because they are predominantly women? Of course not. So why here? Why now? Pits have had women in them for ages. Don’t pass judgement because I’m a “cis white man”. These judgements and prejudices you hold are exactly the issues I’m arguing. Just because I’m a white man doesn’t mean I’ve been handed opportunities based on my skin. I’m not in the pits on Broadway.

[@kay-no]

@@KevinLynchNJ I’m not necessarily saying you were handed things and no one is doubting or disregarding your hard work and dedication to music. It’s just there is a deeper level as to why the job listing was posted as what it is. The simple short answer (but very repetitive answer) is dismantling systemic racism; do you want to be on this side of history? Also, it’s quite unhelpful to bring up other industries that have different dynamics and different histories. If we were to indulge your NBA and construction analogy though: Keep in mind the players may be black but the big top dollar execs? They are majority white. There are decisions being made by a predominant group. Yes skill wise, people make it to the NBA that way but we both know theater is CONNECTIONS, not just skill. NBA as an industry that operates differently. And women in construction? You don’t seem to be involved with the people who focus on that because, then you would know, advocacy like that turns out does exist. The amount of women in construction is also steadily increasing as well. The reason why? Despite construction notoriously being hostile for women since, (again key word) systemically, women are often seen as physically inferior (not different, but inferior). The great thing is that thinking is slowly dying out, which then helps construction industry be more women friendly. I understand how you’re trying to tie in these other industry statistics, but I think this is a flawed point to be discussing. It’s ignoring the literal fact of how theatre/Broadway works, and it’s choosing to look at something else that isn’t directly relevant to the conversation.

[@kay-no]

@@KevinLynchNJ racism has never been rooted in fact 🤷‍♀️ and if you believe that being a white cis gay man doesn’t help in the theatre/Broadway industry, isn’t that a belief of yours as well? This decision to provide equity is not and never will be an attack on your personal being. It’s simply to face the facts of inaccessibility of the arts in marginalized communities and it’s showing you don’t have to be in the usual category to thrive. The people who call the shots in theatre and Broadway are often white men; I’d hope you can connect the dots of what that entails. White men like to bring on other white men; if you take a second to look around commercial theatre, you would see the cycle. The cycle will be broken at some point and I guess that’s what’s happening now

[@kay-no]

@@KevinLynchNJ TL;DR white men are systematically in a position of power! But it’s nothing personal against you! If you would like to understand better then looking into critical race theory could be very beneficial. I can try to find some works that may help you find a place to start.

[@jonathanhart5257]

100% spot on. People should be, in fact only be, hired on the basis of their character and skills/resume; hiring the best person for the job. Like, you can get your female, black (etc..) director, conductor, musician (etc..) but are they qualified for the job and will they do amazing at said job? For me, if I had to find someone to fill in a position, I can care less about their gender, race or whatever.

[@5Lindman]

I hear you, but I think your argumentation suffers from a limited understanding of structural discrimination. It's quite intuitive to dismiss the methodology of these organisations as discriminating in itself, buy you cannot right a structural wrong by applying equal pushes to the non-discriminated and discriminated sides. These organisations recognize that structural faults prevent the laws to which you refer to be fully adhered to in practice, therefore they attempt to provide certain exclusive opportunities to those who are being discriminated against. What you describe as the alternative is utopian, and whilst it would be wonderful if merely utopian measures could be taken to achieve utopia, I don't think that's possible. Nonetheless, I think it's problematic that we are taught so little about fundamental discrimination theory. If we were, it would become obvious to more people why fighting discrimination often cannot be done effectively without applying certain levels of what looks like the same or similar discrimination. Ten years back I would have myself signed off on your arguments as being perfectly logical and valid. I still see the logic, but not the validity.

[@kay-no]

Seeing his replies to others, he doesn’t seem to be interested in expanding his knowledge and understanding of the world