There is, as is often the case, also the difference....

between intent and reality. The principles of communism sound nice. They don't work in practice. I tend not to ascribe malicious intent to those who support a reasoned version of DEI, even if it doesn't work. There are DEI nuts, and there are anti-DEI nuts. Both probably think they are right, and are victims of the other "side."

The problem is when principled concepts turn into religious dogma. Similar to the PC movement. It's perfectly fine to want people to be nicer to each other, and to use more accurate and positive language. But when it becomes monitoring of all speech all the time for hidden microaggressions it has gone too far.