My Attendance at cdCon
by Adam Kaplan
Dear Shipwright Community:
I am echoing here what I posted on the Shipwright community Slack. Please
note that the views expressed here are my own and do not reflect any
position of my employer (Red Hat).
I won't be attending cdCon in Austin due to recent legal changes in Texas -
namely the following:
1. The implementation of SB8 [1], which limits access to abortion care,
leading to documented incidents of dangerous medical decisionmaking [2].
2. Recent actions by the government that recategorized gender-affirming
medical care for minors as child abuse [3].
I had privately expressed my concerns regarding these laws to the events
team and Jason, who has relayed this to the CD Foundation Governance Board.
These conversations are ongoing, and I believe this is happening in good
faith. However, the issue here is broader than just cdCon - it impacts all
Linux Foundation events in Austin, including Open Source Summit.
I have written an open letter to LF to ask for the following:
1. Issue a strong statement condemning these laws
2. Allow contributors to participate remotely at LF events in Austin
3. Incorporate DEI measures and scoring in future conference site selection
If you have similar sentiments and are not going to travel to Austin in
light of these laws, please consider signing:
https://forms.gle/a3AViqGCyfKh5TUQ7
Do not feel obligated to sign if you are planning to travel to cdCon - this
was a decision I did not come to lightly, and I do not begrudge anyone who
wants to evangelize Shipwright in person. I wish the best to everyone who
is traveling to cdCon, and I will do whatever I can to keep the excitement
going for virtual participants.
Sincerely,
Adam Kaplan
[1] https://capitol.texas.gov/billlookup/History.aspx?LegSess=87R&Bill=SB8
[2] https://www.npr.org/2022/02/28/1083536401/texas-abortion-law-6-months
[3]
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/opinion-files/op...
--
Adam B Kaplan
web: https://adambkaplan.com
email: adam(a)adambkaplan.com
2 years, 8 months