I applied for a job at an organization called Friends of something–Parks? Libraries? Lapdogs? I’ve applied for so many jobs I’m not even sure which one it was. I retained a copy of the disclaimer.

Friends does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including breastfeeding and conditions related to breastfeeding), gender (including gender identity and gender expression), national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic characteristics and information, marital status, registered domestic partner status, military and veteran status, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law. In addition, in accordance with California law, Friends does not discriminate on the basis of the following categories: possessing a California driver’s license issued to an undocumented person; a lawful change of name, Social Security Number or federal employment authorization document; or receipt of public assistance in the form of Medi-Cal coverage.

I can’t decide whether this is a symphony of diverse inclusiveness or an omnibus of what is wrong with identity politics.

California, like my home state of Texas, is associated with a lot of stereotypes, many unfounded as one would expect, though my husband, having seen the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, would say all the stereotyping about Texas is true. There are plenty of conservatives here, as well as people who have no interest in weed and people who never learned to surf. On the other hand, almost everyone seems to have some interest in the environment, perhaps because people spend a lot of time outdoors, and even on the balmy Central Coast, most are obsessed by weather.

The lack of weather changes turns out to be as engrossing as extreme weather changes.

The disclaimer above seems almost a parody of what non-Californians would expect of the Bay Area, but rather than arising from politics, I would guess it bubbles up from a pervasive and, to me, admirable quality of Golden Staters: They are extraordinarily non-judgmental. This is so striking I have probably mentioned it before. You can do whatever you want on the street of NYC, but the New Yorkers who may seem to be ignoring you are thinking, Lint licker. Californians don’t even think, I would never do that.

More imports arrive from judgmental states every day, of which I am an example, so judging does happen here. For my part, I’m trying to adopt the local attitude on this. It feels great to be treated that way, and I want to give back.