Wikimedia DC Statement on Terms of Use Enforcement - Wikimedia-l

30 Jun 2019

https://wikimediadc.org/wiki/Press:Statement_on_Terms_of_Use_enforcement

June 30, 2019

Wikimedia District of Columbia is deeply concerned by recent events that
have occurred on the English Wikipedia, including community controversy
regarding a ban imposed by the Wikimedia Foundation.

Protecting editors from harassment is crucial to the continued success of
the Wikimedia movement. Many of us have been targets of harassment as a
result of our contributions to the Wikimedia projects, and have witnessed
harassment of our colleagues, and we are grateful to the Wikimedia
Foundation's Trust & Safety team for their support in those incidents.

We make no judgement on the case at the center of the current controversy
as the Foundation—as per long-standing practice to protect the privacy of
all concerned—did not identify the specifics of the behavior publicly. We
are not endorsing or opposing a specific case, policy, or process. However,
in light of these events, we publicly affirm our support for the following
principles:

   - We support the Wikimedia Foundation's efforts in general to make the
   English Wikipedia welcoming and accessible to people of all backgrounds and
   gender identities.
   - We believe there are circumstances where the Wikimedia Foundation
   should take action against individual editors who violate the Terms of Use
   when it is necessary to protect people of all backgrounds and gender
   identities.
   - We support collaboration between the Foundation and the English
   Wikipedia community to inform the policies and processes surrounding these
   efforts.
   - We oppose the use of discriminatory, racist, and homophobic language
   in all Wikimedia discussions, and encourage the community to avoid it,
   regardless of context or intent.

Board of Directors
Wikimedia District of Columbia