IMHO we should divide criteria into two categories, reflecting two different kind of issue:
*someone *cannot* partecipate because of a certain issue -> the proposal is rejected *someone may not feel comfortable in partecipating -> the proposal is somehow penalized In other words, if LGBT people is at risk in Saudi Arabia then Wikimania cannot be held in Saudi Arabia. If LGBT people might face some difficulties in North Carolina then North Carolina will lose a certain amount of preference to -for example- Belgium where LGBT people might be more comfortable. I know this might weaken our effort to reach non-Western countries but I rather support giving anybody the *opportunity* to partecipate. Vito 2016-10-18 12:42 GMT+02:00 Gerard Meijssen <gerard.meijs...@gmail.com>: > Hoi, > I do care that everybody can come to places where they are safe. All the > specific LGBT attention to safety is however on many levels problematic > when we prioritise this over other safety aspects. The big picture for me > is that we need to go to places where bringing Wikipedia and what it stands > for the most good. It is why I would go to Russia, to China to India to > South Africa. > > They all have their issues but remember what our aim is not for the perfect > holiday destination. We aim to bring the sum of all knowledge everywhere. > The thing with safety is that it is very much in behaviour. I am not at > ease when I travel. When I go to places like the USA, I am amazed and feel > harassed by all the visible guns. It feels like I am in a police series... > I know it has nothing to do with me but I feel as safe there as I did in > Alexandria, Mumbai, Buenos Aires because I am there for one thing only. > Wikimania. > > By excluding destinations, we restrict our ability to reach out to places > where our message needs to be heard. That is why I am filled with mixed > feelings about all the attention of safety in "other places". The USA is > another place to me where I feel not safe, where LGBT rights are not > guaranteed either. > > It is possible to be safe particularly when I concentrate why I am there in > the first place. > Thanks, > GerardM > > On 17 October 2016 at 23:39, Ellie Young <eyo...@wikimedia.org> wrote: > > > Yes we are doing a review and I can vouch that issues like this will > always > > be a part of the criteria when selecting a venue. In most of the recent > > Wikimanias the selection committee and WMF have included the security of > > our LGBT community as one of the criteria when considering bids. > > > > Another critical issue that you mention below when deciding what to do > for > > future Wikimanias is whether the conference in its present form > (program, > > location, etc.) is serving the community and WMF. That is a longer > > conversation that I hope we can continue to have and make some progress > in > > the near future. > > > > Ellie > > > > > > > > > > On Sun, Oct 16, 2016 at 10:26 AM, Pine W <wiki.p...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > Hi Pax, > > > > > > My understanding is that WMF is doing a strategic review of Wikimania. > If > > > that is correct, considerations like the ones you raise about location > > > could be included in the scope of that review. I'm pinging Ellie with > the > > > hope that she can provide information about the status of WMF's > thinking > > > about Wikimania, perhaps in a new thread. Wikimania involves > significant > > > amounts of time and money, and I am hoping that WMF will develop ways > to > > > align Wikimania with WMF and community strategic goals. > > > > > > Pine > > > > > > On Oct 16, 2016 08:10, "Pax Ahimsa Gethen" < > list-wikime...@funcrunch.org > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > >> Hello all. I had a positive experience at WikiConference North America > > >> last weekend, where I gave a talk on transgender issues and > > Wikipedia.[1] > > >> I'm posting because there's an active discussion in Wikipedia Weekly > on > > >> Facebook about choosing a host country for Wikimania 2018.[2] I am > > >> concerned that some of the suggestions are not taking into account the > > >> safety of LGBT+ people; not just those attending the conference, but > > also > > >> those living in the host country. > > >> > > >> As a queer trans atheist in a same-sex marriage, there are a number of > > >> places where I am considered a criminal for just existing or going > > about my > > >> daily routine. This applies to some parts of the U.S. as well, by the > > way; > > >> I won't be visiting North Carolina as long as it's illegal for me to > use > > >> the men's restroom there. Please keep these considerations in mind > when > > >> planning meetups and conferences. Thank you. > > >> > > >> - Pax aka Funcrunch > > >> > > >> [1] http://funcrunch.org/blog/2016/10/12/making-connections-at-w > > >> ikiconference-north-america/ > > >> > > >> [2] https://www.facebook.com/groups/wikipediaweekly/permalink/11 > > >> 14259788621851/ > > >> > > >> -- > > >> Pax Ahimsa Gethen | http://funcrunch.org > > >> > > >> > > >> _______________________________________________ > > >> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wik > > >> i/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > >> New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > >> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l > , > > >> <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Ellie Young > > Events Manager > > Wikimedia Foundation > > eyo...@wikimedia.org > > c. 510 701 8649 > > _______________________________________________ > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/ > > wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/ > wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
