While we're on this topic,
, I grew up in a community diverse in all those factors, so "getting on" with people regardless of culture, migrant status, colour, faith, gender, sexuality, etc, etc, was something that simply came naturally and was part of life from the get-go. If you couldn't do it, you couldn't function 
. Many people I know personally don't easily slot into categories, or can't easily define themselves in pre-existing terms. That's what makes a diverse society so fascinating- it really shows you how unique each individual person truly is. That's something a great many people who promote "tolerance" and "diversity" but aren't from such backgrounds themselves don't understand. True diversity is in regards to individuals, not a mix of people slotted into different cultural categories, or any other type of category. I applauded Geoff Thorne's comments upthread because he so rightly pointed out that sexuality can't be broken down into strict labels such as "heterosexual" and "homosexual" as easily as people think. It's far more complex and there are so many possibilities. Speaking personally again, everyone in my generation and from my general background is in the same boat- coming to terms with who they are, trying to find a mode of self-perception that gives meaning to your life, while both acknowledging the diversity and avoiding dangerous factionism. Where is the balance to be found? How do you define yourself? What is your culture and what does it mean to say that is your culture? How do you both honour the diversity that represents your community and background while also establishing a strong sense of your own cultural heritage? What does it mean to you to say "I am a male/female", "I am heterosexual/homosexual/bisexual/whatever", "I am a (insert religion or equivalent)? Everyone constructs the answer to these questions differently, and some will reject any conclusive answer at all. What it means to attach a certain label to yourself depends upon each person, so taking note of the label but ignoring the process that led to them accepting such a label is an error.
This, in my experience, is what those who talk about "diversity" and "equality" and "respect" from a distance don't understand. They are only interested in imposing boxes on people, ignoring each individual's right to self-determination and self-expression by insisting "you are (this), from (this group). Your lot in life is (this)". It encourages factionalism that wouldn't exist otherwise. Only the person themselves can tell you what it means to be a member of a certain group, and each person will have a different answer.
This is one reason why I love the Star Trek universe and Trek lit in particular so much- it deals with the complexities of relationships between the self, a particular society/culture and a whole web of societies and cultures. I started a thread not long ago on (more or less) this basic topic.
The authors are to be applauded, in my opinion, for handling these issues so thoughtfully and intelligently throughout these books.
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