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.