The evidence suggests that this guy is a creep whose Gorean fantasies are linked to regressive views of women in the real world. Allowing such a person to have a significant contributory, let alone leadership, role in an open source community is bound to leave other contributors massively uncomfortable. To avoid distruption to the community, the community exercised its right to exclude such a person.
Is it their right? Yeah, probably. Is it right? Let's apply a simple test here.
Let's replace every mention of "Gor" or "BDSM" with "Bear" and "Homosexuality". Suddenly, it is clear that the actions actually are puritan kink-shaming. Mentioning someone's sexual deviancies in public like this also comes close to character assassination in the age of the Google.
So what is the result of this? We got one developer/manager ousted, and we got a project that has lost some talent and created a rift between those who do not want to be associated with hate crimes and those who get offended by what happens in other people's bedrooms. In the end, everyone loses.
> Allowing such a person to have a significant contributory, let alone leadership, role in an open source community is bound to leave other contributors massively uncomfortable.
I suggest Drupal find adult contributors then who can contribute. Being uncomfortable or offended isn't a protected class, and you have no business contributing to a public project if you're going to exile or shame colleagues due to their private lives.
It seems the "Code Of Conduct" has jumped the shark and become a weaponized tool for witch hunts.
I'm surprised by how many people didn't see this coming. Rules are intended to weed out undesirables, for whatever reason, even if not objectively moral.
> The evidence suggests that this guy is a creep whose Gorean fantasies are linked to regressive views of women in the real world. Allowing such a person to have a significant contributory, let alone leadership, role in an open source community is bound to leave other contributors massively uncomfortable.
U.S. antidiscrimination law outlaws termination on the basis of one or more of several protected categories which include race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and I believe age.There are other things you can't be fired for, such as taking maternity leave, or conplaining with others about working conditions (if you are the sole complainant, you can be fired).
You can be fired for just about any reason outside of these. And I don't think BDSM or Goreanism count as protected sexual orientations.
Is there not a reasonable argument that he was fired for being an avowed heterosexual? I don't think any company would touch the issue with a ten foot pole.
