Security Congress and ISC2s DEI commitment

[wimremes]

Over the past decade, ISC2 has made great strides in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Not in the least at the Security Congress events through its awards, its scholarships, and its choice of diverse (keynote) speakers. I believe this is core to our membership values and essential to the association's mission.

Unfortunately, we have witnessed several states in the US (and some countries) create laws that specifically target LGBTQAI+ individuals. Not in the least the "drag ban" laws in states like Montana and, unfortunately, Tennessee where this year's Security Congress will be hosted. Just this week, a library in Montana has cancelled an event where a trans speaker was planned in light of the local new "drag ban" law (https://twitter.com/ErinInTheMorn/status/1664352646193467393?s=20)

Personally, I strongly believe in not staying away from states that want to or already have decided to criminalize fellow humans. In fact, it is my belief that this is one of the situations where acting ethically (supporting my peers) rises above acting legally (supporting or abiding by "drag bans" or otherwise xenophobic laws).

1) How, if at all, does the association take into account the local laws during the speaker selection processes for Security Congress?

2) How, if at all, will the association ensure our LGBTQAI+ peers can be safe at Security Congress and other events held in locations that are admittedly hostile to them?

[Kaity]

Thank you for expressing your concern. We stand firmly against any legislation that is discriminatory in nature and threatens the safety of our members or event attendees. Several weeks back, we issued a statement in support of ensuring a safe and inclusive environment at Security Congress, which you can read here: https://www.isc2.org/notice/ISC2-Statement-on-Security-Congress-2023#

Regarding your questions, 

1. Local laws did not impact to our speaker selection process. When selecting speakers for our events, our aim is to select high-quality speakers who can provide valuable content to our attendees, as well as reflect the evolving diversity of our profession.   
2. We’ve been working with our host venue, the mayor’s office and local LGBTQIA+ organizations to ensure the event will be welcoming and safe for all attendees. In addition, we’ve convened an ongoing Inclusive Event Working Group with representatives from the LGBTQIA+ community to understand how legislation is affecting the local community and generate measures to ensure inclusivity and safety at our events. All of our Security Congress events will take place at locations that affirm a verifiable commitment to inclusion and safety of its guests.

[wimremes]

Thanks Kaity! I was not aware of the earlier post. It's great to see ISC2 being 100% engaged on this topic.

[ericgeater]

I really enjoyed reading this.  Hats off to ISC2 for addressing this subject directly with the event hall and the city of Nashville! 

Unrelated to the topic, I highly recommend visiting the Parthenon while in town.