Drupal AssociationWe understand that there are people disappointed that DrupalCon North America will continue to be in the United States in 2027. We want to pull back the curtain a bit on everything that went into sourcing the event. 🧵
1/5
We genuinely spent significant time and resources attempting to source event locations outside of the USA for 2027, and we were not able to secure a location that could house the size of our conference. There are fewer hotels outside the U.S. that can support the size of DrupalCon North America, and they are booking 2+ years in advance.
2/5
What we were able to do is support and amplify the effort to bring a pan-Canadian event in 2027 in the form of DrupalCan - which offers an opportunity for those who feel unsafe traveling to the U.S. to connect with a portion of the North American community.
3/5
In choosing Orlando, FL, we deliberately chose a city home to one of the strongest and most welcoming Drupal communities in the world (DrupalCamp Florida), and one that meets high standards for inclusivity under third-party metrics: the Human Rights Campaign gives Orlando a perfect score of 100 on the Municipal Equality Index - its highest possible rating for city-level LGBTQ+ protections.
4/5
We recognize the state and federal political situation is troubling for many in our community. We will never pressure anyone to attend an event where they do not feel safe. But we hope you'll find a way to participate with us in supporting Drupal community gatherings wherever they occur - whether in Orlando, in Canada, or online.
5/5
ifrik@drupalassoc
We are indeed disappointed -maybe less about the location itself- but about the fact that you actively choose a location that excludes part of our community. That you choose "business as usual", and topped it with some victim blaming. That you tell people not to come if they don't "feel safe" - as if there were no real problems when crossing the US border.
1/
Some of our community cannot be sure if their passport is accepted at the border, some of us would need to weigh a possible detention by ICE against the wish to attend a large and important conference.
Maybe there is indeed no hotel that fits your specific ideas, but you could also think out of the box. Maybe rent a conference center in Canada for a proper DrupalCon, and let participants book their own accommodation, instead of booking a whole hotel.
2/
Maybe organize an additional DrupalUS for those who don't want to leave the US.
But instead you chose to tell some people just not to come - and you phrased it like it would be their choice and their fault for being too sensitive, for "feeling unsafe"
3/3
jpoesen | 🇪🇺 | 🏳️🌈@drupalassoc
What you don't seem to grasp is that *no single US location* is acceptable right now.
No amount of "it's close to Disney World" or "Equality Index score" or "strong Drupal community" is going to change the fact that you're choosing to organize an event in a fundamentally unsafe climate for LGBTQ+ *and* foreign travelers *and* so many others.
And you're legitimizing the Trump administration's actions and making it abundantly clear all is well and business comes first.