Navigating conflicting DEI needs for the benefit of all

What happens when inclusion for some feels like exclusion for others? 

This question continues to come up in the navigation of equity work. In its many forms, it arises in hallway conversations, committee meetings and even moments of quiet reflection. It rears its head in conversations around creating a sense of belonging in educational and workplace settings, particularly where people carry multiple and intersecting identities. 

The dilemma becomes even more complicated when it appears that the right for one person to belong challenges another’s sense of comfort and security. One example is the ongoing discussions around gender-neutral washrooms on university campuses. These spaces are important for the safety and dignity of gender-diverse people, and yet they also raise concerns around privacy and safety of heterosexual and cisgendered people. Both concerns are valid and neither exists in isolation. This tension requires us to move beyond binary thinking and towards solutions that recognise complexity.

Tension about the washrooms was addressed at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) by adding gender-inclusive washrooms in high-traffic areas while also retaining gendered options. This approach balanced the safety and dignity of gender-diverse individuals with expressed needs of others. It offered choice without compromising rights. 

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While this issue – and others like it – may not have a simple answer, it does signal that resolving such tensions is meaningful work, the kind of work that challenges us to hold space for multiple truths. Equity work asks us to seek better questions and to move towards designing environments, systems, policies and services with care and empathy, recognising that while many perspectives can coexist, not all carry the same ethical weight. When harm, discrimination or violence is at play, equity work requires us to take a clear position in support of safety, dignity and justice.

This work is often misunderstood; belonging does not mean sameness. At its heart, equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) work is about recognising and valuing differences rather than erasing them. It’s about understanding that each person brings something unique to the table and, because of this, they also often need something unique. 

What to think about when thinking about equity 

Equity work began as a call to justice, an effort to ensure that those from equity-deserving groups had access to the basic dignities, opportunities and resources long afforded to those of dominant identities. The principles of the Equity Sequence – which is a series of five questions that help individuals spot and correct bias in their work, behaviour and decision-making – remind us that when systems, policies and initiatives are created, many perspectives are often missing and, as you can imagine, those absent perspectives belong to communities that are either most affected or historically marginalised. The framework urges us to ask questions like: who is not at the table? Whose experience isn’t being considered? It is only through this reflection that we can know the true impact of our decisions. This helps us to be cautious not to confuse discomfort with exclusion. 

What does this have to do with higher education?

Higher education has always been a marketplace of ideas and a place where social discourse is expected. With this responsibility comes inevitable disagreement, particularly as we engage with evolving understandings of power, identity and justice. While all ideas deserve investigation, it is paramount to remember that human rights must take precedence over the nostalgia of “what has always been”. 

We have established that these tensions exist and that both sides can hold validity. We must however also recognise that feeling discomfort, especially among those from dominant social groups, is not the same as being excluded. For example, while some cisgender or heterosexual individuals may feel uneasy about gender-neutral bathrooms, their discomfort does not equate to systemic marginalisation or denial or access. Equity work asks us to distinguish between a temporary discomfort and a pervasive barrier to inclusion. 

So, the question becomes, how do we build a future where students, staff and faculty regardless of their social position feel that they belong?

• Talk about it. There is power in naming tension without shame. This can only happen if we’ve built an environment where people feel safe enough to speak and be heard. Building this kind of environment requires both intention and action. This involves setting shared community agreements around respectful dialogue, ensuring confidentiality when appropriate, actively addressing power dynamics, and training leaders to respond with care. When we allow open and honest conversations, we can understand the pain points and come up with what safety looks like for different people. It is only then that we can begin to craft responses and innovations that are truly equitable.
• Value impact over intent. Good intentions may soften how we view someone’s actions, but they don’t erase harm. Equity work wants us to be brave enough to prioritise impact, especially through the lived experiences of those mostly affected. Listening to data, feedback and community voices must come before assumptions.
• Prioritise those most impacted. When needs come into conflict, equity does not always equal attention to all. It means recognising who stands to be harmed the most if we do nothing and ensuring that their safety and dignity are non-negotiable. When implementing gender-neutral washrooms, some may express discomfort with the change, but gender-diverse individuals often face harassment or safety risks in traditional gendered spaces. In this case, equity requires that we prioritise the needs of those who face the greatest vulnerability. This is where justice begins.

EDI has never been about perfection. It is a way to navigate complexity with humility and care.

Cynthia Williams is project adviser for equity and inclusion at the University of Northern British Columbia.

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