DEI is literally the definition of racism. Disney being sued by Elon Musk

[LevelUP]

I am completely retired now. I am a U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer (Retired). I am also a retired Department of Defense Civil Servant. I tend to look at most things through the lens of my experience. All DoD Equal Opportunity organizations are now DEI organizations. I just typed "Department of Defense Equal Opportunity Office" into my search engine. It delivered me here:

https://diversity.defense.gov/

Controversy in the field and practice is not new. I maintain that fairly instituted and managed DEI is good and necessary.

"I maintain that fairly instituted and managed DEI is good and necessary." 

It seems you are describing an abstract, utopian view of what DEI could be, rather than how it is practiced in the real world.

DEI in the real world is used to discriminate against people and I don't know how you discriminate "fairly". Maybe you could explain that?

If DEI uses quotas or favoritism for hiring, then it's illegal.

Is Your Company’s DEI Program Lawful? By Michael Toth, an attorney in Austin, Texas.
https://archive.vn/UNRIW#selection-495.161-499.23