CNMI delegate candidate Galvin Deleon Guerrero says that while the intentions behind DEI are important, the movement has sometimes gone too far.
A longtime educator and Northern Marianas College president, Deleon Guerrero announced his candidacy last June under the Independent ticket.
Deleon Guerrero, speaking to reporters last week said: “I do believe the left went too far when it came to DEI — where it became about policing language and pronouns. I’m not against treating people with respect and dignity, but obsessing over pronouns doesn’t feed, educate, or economically empower anyone.”
He acknowledged the backlash against DEI, saying he has felt it himself, but emphasized that exclusion is not the answer.
“We can’t alienate people. We have to work together — Republicans and Democrats — to get the most for the people of the CNMI.”
Deleon Guerrero stressed that semantics should not overshadow substance.
“What matters at the end of the day is: Are we helping people improve their lives? That’s what I care about. The language we use may not matter as much as the impact we make.”
U.S. President Donald Trump in January signed Executive Order 14173 which rolled back the use of DEI-related criteria and mandated federal hiring and contracting decisions to be entirely “merit-based, prohibiting any form of race-, gender-, or ethnicity-based preferences.”
