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. 🧵
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Natalie@drupalassoc I get that it is a tough situation, but let me tell you, there are a good number of good people who are feeling quite betrayed right now. Some trans folks in the community who’ve contributed a lot over the years are feeling *VERY* disillusioned and feeling like they’ve been treated like props that are now too inconvenient.
I’m hoping the entire DA board, and both the BDFL and CEO of the DA included, hear this feedback from folks and actually *sit* with it.
@drupalassoc *LIVE UP TO YOUR VALUES*
joachim@cainaru @drupalassoc What values? If the DA was democratic, we could vote out the board. But we can't, because it's not.
@drupalassoc @joachim Values… well, I don’t even know anymore to be honest. It does feel like the current environment, overall, favors tossing values by the wayside though. Especially if those pesky values get in the way of profits. 😖
George DeMetDecisions about #DrupalCon locations and programming are made by the @drupalassoc staff, not the board.
The board is informed of the decision and has the opportunity to provide feedback, but it is the CEO of the Association who decides what feedback to take into account when making the decision.
@gdemet @joachim a big thing I’d like to know is this: is the DA aware of how much trust this loses with a good chunk of the community and some of the trans folks in our community? That trust will be *extremely* hard to rebuild.
I realize this isn’t a question for you to answer. I need to think of how best to constructively put my feedback together to send to the powers-that-be.
@joachim @gdemet Also worth noting too, that the trust can really only be rebuilt by consistent & sustained efforts over time.
Some people won’t wait around to see if such efforts take place or whether such efforts will make a difference. Some people will just stop showing up: decreasing contributions, volunteering for fewer things the DA needs help with, cutting out DA membership or donations. But will powers-that-be notice the gap? Will it register? I don’t know.