Reflections and Gratitude One Year Later

A message from FAIR’s Executive Director

A little less than a year ago, I began a journey with all of you. I seized the opportunity to lead FAIR through a very challenging time, and you were generous enough to support me in my efforts.

I had never helmed a nonprofit organization before, but I was deeply committed to FAIR and its mission. I decided to accept this opportunity, despite the challenges, and regardless of whether I would be successful, because FAIR means so much to so many people. There’s no other organization doing the work that it does.

Like all of you, I was drawn to FAIR because it embraces a message that I have spent so much time writing and speaking about for the past seven years: what we have in common is far more important than what makes us different from one another. We who work in FAIR and those who support us have persevered because we know there is a desperate longing for the work we do.

I didn’t know where this journey would lead us a year later, but I can tell you I’m more optimistic about FAIR’s future today than I was when I first joined. We can see the tide slowly turning; DEI and ESG, phrases we were once too intimidated to challenge or question, are losing their power. People are awakening to the damage and division that illiberal ideology has caused in our communities.

But I’m also optimistic because of what FAIR has accomplished in the past year and where we’re heading.

This time last year, nearly two-thirds of our Board of Advisors had tendered their resignation, and it seemed unthinkable that any of them would return. But they have. When I reached out to Michael Shellenberger, Ilana Redstone, Eli Steele, Wilfred Reilly, and Lisa Bildy to rejoin us, they didn’t hesitate to accept. Why? Because they are so encouraged by what they see. We in FAIR have done more than weather a storm; we are thriving. We’ve given them confidence and energized them. FAIR is moving forward, and they want to be part of it. We’re not just bringing old Advisors back into our fold; we’ve also been successful in our outreach to prominent voices like Nadine Strossen and Sage Steele, who have joined our mission and use their platform to amplify our work.

We’re rebuilding our departments and giving them the resources they need to grow and support our mission.

From the very beginning, FAIR set out to establish itself as the “new ACLU,” taking on the cases this once great organization won’t touch now. We’ve been proud to support many brave plaintiffs, from Dr. Tabia Lee to Dr. Tara Gustillo. But there’s one case in particular that I’m especially passionate about: Zack De Piero, the Penn State English professor who was subjected to DEI trainings so psychologically abusive that they created a hostile work environment. When Zack could no longer endure this treatment, he resigned and decided to file a claim under Title VII. But the ACLU refused to take his case, and FIRE turned him down because it wasn’t in their wheelhouse. That’s when FAIR stepped in, and we’ve been beside Zack every step of the way.

I am so proud of Zack for standing up to a school that spends more money defending itself in litigation in a single year than FAIR has raised in the three years it’s been in existence. This is literally David vs Goliath. But if Zack wins, his case could completely change the future of diversity programs at colleges and universities around the country. If he wins, it will send a message to thousands of other people experiencing the same abuse—and this time, they’ll know which organization to turn to for help: FAIR.

We’ve broadened FAIR in Medicine’s focus to not only address the genuine harms of gender-affirming care to minors and discrimination against biological women, but also other systemic dysfunctions in the medical establishment stemming from a lack of informed consent in the prescribing of SSRIs and other medications. In the past four months we’ve hosted many webinars on these topics that have reached thousands of viewers. We’re partnering with thought leaders and experts like Jay Bhattacharya to help Eli Steele produce a documentary that will raise awareness of the impact that DEI has had on medicine. We’re establishing a reputation as a nonpartisan organization that’s willing to tackle the elephants in the room that the medical establishment refuses to acknowledge.

We’ve ensured that FAIR in Education continues to provide vital resources, like the widely downloaded Success at School Handbook and our Ethnic Studies Guide, which have been so valuable in helping parents navigate a confusing landscape at schools entrenched in DEI. With the assistance of Robert Pondiscio and other Advisors, we’re reimagining this department so that it will become more proactive—not just responding to concerns from Chapter Leaders and other members of our community, but stepping forward to deliver FAIR’s pro-human message, tools, and training to teachers, school boards, and other stakeholders.

FAIR in the Arts is working harder than ever to support artists who create work that’s authentic and unfiltered. Over the past year, we’ve given $5,000 in grants to six artists. Next month, we will host a fundraiser in Los Angeles with Clifton Duncan and other artists to highlight their stories and experiences and build a following of like-minded supporters in the local entertainment community.

When I came on board last year, FAIR in the Arts Director Brent Morden shared a spreadsheet with me tracking hundreds of artists who had reached out, sharing their heartbreaking experiences of intolerance and groupthink. I knew we couldn’t keep these stories to ourselves. We decided to launch FAIR Artist Stories on our Substack to give these brave artists the voice they desperately need and to raise awareness of the challenges they face.

Speaking of our Substack, under our Substack Editor Reid Newton’s stewardship, we’re now up to almost 37,000 subscribers, including a 19% increase in followers and a 49% increase in paid subscribers. In addition to FAIR Artist Stories, we’ve had enormous success with our other Substack series, like “The Many Faces of Pride,” which included pieces that have drawn some of our highest views ever.

More members of the heterodox community are appreciating the depth and reach of FAIR’s network and the value we bring as event partners. We’ve partnered with FIRE and filmmakers like Ted and Courtney Balaker to showcase The Coddling of the American Mind. We’re also working with Eli Steele to host screenings for his groundbreaking film, Killing America, in New York and other cities. FAIR has established a presence at nearly a dozen heterodox conferences and events this year, including Dissident Dialogues in NYC, Braver Angels Convention in Kenosha, and we even sponsored a panel on depolarization at Freedom Fest in Las Vegas with Chloe Valdary, Ilana Redstone, and The Free Press’ Ben Kawaller.

Lastly, we are investing time and energy into FAIR’s lifeblood: our chapters. The volunteers who work so hard on the ground—every day, and in every way—to get our message out into your communities, raise awareness, and highlight what we in FAIR’s leadership can’t see. None of the other work we do would have the impact it does if it weren’t for the work that our chapters do: creating alliances with thought leaders to host impactful events, honing tools like star manning to reach across the divide; and taking advantage of every opportunity to introduce friends and neighbors to FAIR and our message.

Yes, there are other nonprofit organizations that do some of the same work we do, filing precedent-setting litigation in the DEI space and working to eliminate regressive policies and practices in our schools. But we are the only organization that has a network of thousands of members who support our mission at the grassroots level. And make no mistake, this is the only way that real, long-term change will take place—not in a courtroom, but on the ground, in our culture and society, by changing hearts and minds.

I am so grateful that I seized the opportunity to step into this role last year, and I am even more grateful for the support you have given me. I know there is something deep inside all of us that understands just how important FAIR is and how much the world needs us and the work we do, even though most of the world has no clue who we are, or that we even exist. But I promise you, if we stay on this path and maintain our commitment to what we believe and know in our hearts is right, our presence won’t remain unknown to so many for much longer. I believe we are on the cusp of accomplishing amazing things that the rest of the world will soon be talking about.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you—not just for signing up for this mission, but for having the courage and determination to stick with it. FAIR can’t succeed without you, and our communities can’t succeed without FAIR.

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