[OSGeo-Conf] LGBT in OSGeo

Sun Apr 8 09:45:04 PDT 2018

Dear All,

Following this thread, and comments on the FOSS4G 2018 Github [1] I have
created a google doc with an enhanced Code of Conduct:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k_zWD2dnMg0T-EhA2l828xkLxGyMHpLOuc0WxB5vfkM/edit?usp=sharing
I welcome all to review.

Many thanks,

Mark

[1] Suggested changes to Code of Conduct · Issue #65 · foss4g2018/foss4g2018
<https://github.com/foss4g2018/foss4g2018/issues/65>

On 31 March 2018 at 22:25, Cameron Shorter <cameron.shorter at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Mark, conference committee,
>
> As an outsider reading this Code of Conduct, without knowing the Tanzania
> anti-LGBT laws, this CoC would seem strange in the way they are singling
> out LGBT. I think it would be useful to state it up front what the legal
> situation is, and the limits to the FOSS4G committee's ability to enforce
> the CoC or protect delegates from local laws.
>
> I think it would be good to have a statement noting something like:
>
> 1. Participants should be mindful of LGBT local laws, which state ...
>
> 2. Participants should behave respectfully toward locals of the country
> and dress and behave respectfully when in public. Appropriate dress
> involves ...
>
> 3. While the OSGeo Foundation supports a safe conference environment and
> will apply whatever means at its disposal to support this (including
> removing people from the conference if needed), participants should be
> aware of the limit's of the FOSS4G committee's legal mandate to protect
> delegates.
>
>
>
> On 1/4/18 1:16 am, Mark Iliffe wrote:
>
> Dear All,
>
> Following these discussions, I would warmly welcome you all to contribute
> to the discussion on the CoC for this year’s FOSS4G: https://github.com/
> foss4g2018/foss4g2018/issues/65
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Mark
>
> On 9 Mar 2018, at 13:44, Cameron Shorter <cameron.shorter at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> Mark and others on this list,
>
> I'm seeing significant agreement here in promoting diversity within OSGeo.
> I encourage anyone who feels strongly about this should consider starting
> to craft revised text for OSGeo policy documents. Until that happens, we
> are all talk, no action, no impact.
>
> The process: Write draft changes to our policy documents, invite review,
> get rough consensus on wording, get the conference committee to vote to
> accept the proposed changes, update the official documents.
>
> Documents that I think need reworking are:
>
> https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/rfp/
>
> https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_Handbook
>
> Warm regards, Cameron
>
> On 8/3/18 1:16 am, Mark Iliffe wrote:
>
> Dear María,
>
> Thanks for the update on this, we as FOSS4G DLOC will follow and further
> participate with interest.
>
> With regard to holding this conversation slowly, may I kindly counsel that
> we proceed as quickly and as openly as possible - to be clear, I do not
> view this as a point of debate for Dar es Salaam, but for our community as
> a whole - the ripples of this conversation go far beyond FOSS4G this year.
>
> The views and their number expressed have reinforced my (personal) view
> that to our credit, we have a great appetite for discussion on this within
> our community regarding diversity and inclusion - to proceed slowly in
> limited forums may provide the signal that we are not taking this seriously
> - we know this is *not* the case!! - but there is a difference between
> fact and perception unfortunately.
>
> I am not asking for people to come out of the closet to engage in this
> discussion; Personally, I am not LGBT+, however, I have a direct interest
> in making our community to be as inclusive and representative of our world
> as much as possible, this includes those in our community in relative
> and/or absolute poverty (ie. those that utilise QGIS to digitise their
> communities), or from under-represented communities - I believe that we can
> participate in this discussion not based on our race, creed, gender, sexual
> orientation but on the basis as we as a community stand weaker if one of us
> is disadvantaged - can we not engage independently as a member of humanity
> working towards inclusivity and acceptance, instead of categorising
> ourselves?
>
> This maybe a tone deaf view - and if so, please accept my humble apologies
> - but we clearly have a challenge here and while we cannot change the laws
> of any nation that we are working on, we can send the message to the OSGeo
> community that we are listening and through the CoC/diversity
> statement/working groups on LGBT+ etc. that *YOU ARE WELCOME IN THIS
> COMMUNITY!*
>
> This reinforces my personal view that we need to ensure that all are kept
> aware of these discussions - accordingly, I kindly request that we keep
> this in the OSGeo discuss board and make the F2F discussions in Bonn
> accessible for all and that the board takes appropriate action to ensure
> that this message is heard loud and clear throughout.
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Mark
>
> On 7 Mar 2018, at 02:37, María Arias de Reyna <delawen at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Dear Mark,
>
> Thank you very much for your email.
>
> I agree we should continue the discussion in the open. Now we have a
> clear view of the current situation from the board (and people
> following that list). A reason why I personally haven't moved this
> quicker more open is because I don't want OSGeo to be responsible of
> people coming out of the closet on the community and then travelling
> to Tanzania and having problems because of that. The risk is very low,
> as you have confirmed, but this is a very sensitive issue in many
> countries. Everyone should be aware of this before starting to point
> personal experiences, especially people coming from privileged
> countries where being LGBT+ is not only legal, but socially accepted.
>
> We have an OSGeo meeting in Bonn very soon and I think that is a
> proper place to discuss this, as it will be face to face and some
> people will be able to discuss this without having to write their
> names anywhere. I agree there should be an LGBT+ group inside OSGeo,
> and maybe we should provide the tools to allow members from sensitive
> countries/personal situations to participate anonymously. (How? I
> don't know yet.) And we should promote also some kind of diversity
> advice group, where all kind of discriminations can be addressed.
> Maybe merge this idea with the CoC team? Maybe a separated dedicated
> team? I don't know.
>
> Thanks for this and if you need some immediate action from the board,
> just let us know.
>
> Regards,
> María.
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 7, 2018 at 12:11 AM, Mark Iliffe <markiliffe at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Dear OSGeo Board,
>
> On the 20th of February I wrote in response to a concern raised on LGBT+
> concerns in Dar es Salaam. To this, set out the following four action
> points:
>
> To help move forward on this, we will 1. Ensure that we provide guidance
> to those in our community on this issue; 2. Seek dialog within our
> community
> on this issue, I am personally contactable on this and fully welcome any
> and
> all people who wish to discuss this on a face-to-face (over VC) or any
> other
> medium that the community would feel better with; 3. Recommend that the
> board puts in place guidance for future OSGEO conferences other this
> issues;
> 4. Support the formation of an LGBT+ grouping within OSGEO to better
> support
> appropriate guidance on this issue.
>
>
>
> To update on this:
>
> 1. We are collaborating with Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team on this issue,
> to ensure that the response to our mutual communities are in lock-step on
> this issue. Guidance will be published for consultation for the conference
> shortly;
> 2. I have reached out to members of the LGBT+ community that I know
> personally on a bilateral basis. I would welcome further dialogue with the
> OSGeo LGBT+ community on a bilateral, private basis for people to voice
> their concerns in confidence;
>
> Points 3 and 4 are of specific interest, in the view of the LOC of FOSS4G
> 2018, as we can set policy direction for our conference, but have no
> mandate
> nor mechanism to set policy across OSGeo. To this end, I would formally
> request, in my role of Chair of FOSS4G for the OSGeo Board to provide
> direction to future FOSS4G conferences and to further support and service
> this community within our wider community.
>
> Clearly, there is a desire for LGBT+ to be considered further in our
> community - as noted in the transcript of the previous board meeting [1],
> but I think this needs to be communicated to our wider community - I see
> the
> discussions on the OSGeo board mailing list, though this may not have the
> widest circulation. I am also available to have a video conference with the
> board, at their earliest possible convenience if such an invitation was
> extended.
>
> Finally, I really want to stress this for our conference in Dar es Salaam
> this year to our community: We want to have the most inclusive conference
> that we can possibly have. In the same way that previous FOSS4G events in
> Boston and North Carolina have demonstrated, our conferences have dealt
> with
> challenges within the wider legislative framework of their host country, we
> as a community are welcoming to any and all with open arms. We will publish
> guidance for those travelling, and if you still wish to participate but
> cannot come to Dar es Salaam, get in touch with us - we will help you get
> involved! Our FOSS4G will only be successful due to ALL the people in our
> OSGeo community; we are a big and dynamic family - we will reflect and live
> that this year in Dar es Salaam, and I hope in the many years to come.
>
> Best,
>
> Mark
>
> [1] https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Board_Meeting_2018-03-01
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: jorge.dejesus <jorge.dejesus at geocat.net>
> Date: 21 February 2018 at 08:26
> Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Conf] LGBT in Tanzania
> To: conference_dev at lists.osgeo.org
>
>
> Hi to all
>
> I was following the LGBT  in Tanzania discussion, and I am happy to see the
> question added to the next RfP.
>
> The discussion on LGBT rights and safety requires a bit of common sense, I
> am LGBT it is one part of my live as being OsGEO member is another (one of
> many) part(s), normally these two don't intercept much, personally I think
> this is  why the LGBT community is present in OsGEO but very invisible.
> What?? No LGBT birds of the feather in FOSS4G ???
>
> Having a code of conduct that is non discriminatory, we must take  into
> consideration the rights of minorities and safety of ALL the participants
> of
> and a OsGEO conference, the LOC have to do their best for the safety.  LOC
> should also informed  participants on what  are the real  problems that
> participants may have to face, then is up to the participants to decide if
> they fell comfortable to to attend the conference.
>
> Again, nice to see this topic discussed and remember these comments are my
> 2
> cents
>
> Enjoy your day
> Jorge
>
>
>
> On 21-02-18 10:30, Till Adams wrote:
>
> Darrell, @ohers,
>
> thanks for the sum up, I agree in including such a question in the next
> RfP. In order to preserve your proposal, I've added your questionTill here:
>
> https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Rfp
>
> I will add this to the next RfP-text.
>
>
> Till
>
>
>
> Am 20.02.2018 um 18:32 schrieb Darrell Fuhriman:
>
> "FOSS4G attracts a global, diverse community. Are there any laws, or
> social norms, in your proposed location that would make members of our
> community feel unsafe or unwelcome? That could include, but is not
> limited to, anti-LGBTQ+ policies, policies that would prevent the free
> exercise of religion, restrictions on certain activities based on
> gender or other factor, etc?”
>
> _______________________________________________
> Conference_dev mailing list
> Conference_dev at lists.osgeo.org
> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/conference_dev
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Conference_dev mailing list
> Conference_dev at lists.osgeo.org
> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/conference_dev
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Conference_dev mailing listConference_dev at lists.osgeo.orghttps://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/conference_dev
>
>
> --
> Cameron Shorter
> Technology Demystifier, Learnosity
> Open Technologies Consultant
>
> M +61 (0) 419 142 254
>
>
>
> --
> Cameron Shorter
> Technology Demystifier, Learnosity
> Open Technologies Consultant
>
> M +61 (0) 419 142 254
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/conference_dev/attachments/20180408/2d009995/attachment-0001.html>