Re: IETF 100, Singapore -- proposed path forward and request for input

[Margaret Cullen <[e-mail]>]

Vinayak,

While I consider it highly unlikely to happen, if it became illegal for Muslims to travel to the U.S., or if there was a U.S. Federal or Illinois State law that included the possibility of a prison sentence for being Muslim, then I would ask the IETF to move that meeting to  a location that did not present the risk of incarceration for any of us based on our race, religion, gender, sexual preference or gender expression.

I think many of us are missing an important point here.   This is not an issue of Singapore requiring one group of people to fill out more paperwork to enter the country, or not allowing same-sex couples to marry or adopt.  As I understand it, this is a situation where a gay man is concerned that he could be _arrested_ for coming to the Singapore IETF meeting with his family.  This is an issue of human rights and personal safety, not an issue of convenience, paperwork, cost, etc.

Margaret


> On May 25, 2016, at 5:09 PM, Vinayak Hegde <[e-mail]> wrote:
> 
> On Thu, May 26, 2016 at 2:27 AM, Paul Wouters <[e-mail]> wrote:
>> I have been thinking about this. If we would meet in Dubai, then I would
>> not go because I'm an atheist which is a crime there and I don't feel
>> secure enough this is a "legacy law not enforced". However, I would not
>> be against the IETF meeting there because I do want us to try and be
>> inclusive of the Middle East, something we haven't done well so far.
>> 
>> However, I would hope we continue to strife to go to locations that are
>> as inclusive as possible. Which includes skipping the US if Mr. Trump
>> gets his no-Muslim rule enforced - as a practical statement, not a
>> political one.
> 
> A thought experiment. Imagine a Trump-like figure in Indonesia
> targeting Christians/Atheists/Non-muslims with elections in November.
> Assume a meeting is scheduled there in March 2017. How many people
> would feel comfortable going there ?
> 
> Now imagine the same situation in US if Trump gets elected (an actual
> possibility). I see we have a meeting upcoming in Chicago in March
> 2017. Made up your mind yet ?
> 
> -- Vinayak
>