Jonathan Coulton hosts an annual nerdy cruise called the JoCo Cruise and they're in a bit of hot water that has nothing to do with CoronaVirus
Posted by
Mop (aka rburriel)
Feb 17 '20, 09:31
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Their 2021 destination is Jamaica and (I'll admit I didn't know this) Jamaica has a considerable anti-LGBTQ+ bias. I think Coulton's response is very responsible. Given the target audience for his cruise, inclusiveness and support of LGBTQ+ culture is very important. I'd like to see how they approach this. Here's Coulton's letter to the community:
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Hey everyone, this is Jonathan.
After we announced our 2021 itinerary yesterday, we heard from many people who have serious concerns about visiting Jamaica—specifically, its especially problematic track record on LGBTQ+ issues. I want to let you know that we hear you loud and clear. I’m ashamed to say that despite our extensive due diligence while choosing this itinerary, we were unaware of the anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and laws in Jamaica. I want to own and apologize for this blindspot right now: we should have done better, and we will work to learn from this and do better in the future. I’m sorry.
Right now, we are listening to and reading the feedback we've received, evaluating our options, and figuring out what our next steps are. But I want to assure you that it’s extremely important to all of us that JoCo Cruise remains a safe and fun event where everyone can fully express who they are—especially the many members of the LGBTQ+ community who embrace JoCo Cruise and are a core part of our collective identity. We won’t always get things right, and we rely on all of you to let us know when we don’t. So thank you, as always, for your clear and thoughtful responses.
The JoCo Cruise 2021 ship and sailing dates remain unchanged, and booking remains open. We’ll update you as soon as we have more information.
Thank you,
Jonathan and the JoCo Cruise Management
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Responses:
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