Questions for the OTW Board of Directors
There's a Board meeting scheduled for July 2 at 20:00 UTC, and as part of our second call to action, we're asking fans to attend and ask questions about what the Board is doing to fulfill the promises it's made to combat racist harassment on its platforms and make the organization and its projects more welcoming to fans of color.
When asking questions, please be courteous. During the meeting, the Board takes relevant questions about the business at hand and then there's an open question period at the end. Because meetings are only scheduled for an hour, the time for questions is often limited, but if you get yours in before the end of the hour, it should be answered.
There's no size limit to the questions you can ask, but keep in mind that if you ask a multi-part question, you may only get an answer to the easiest part of it, so you might want to keep additional questions in reserve and only ask them once the first one's been answered. If you're afraid of sounding pushy, team up with a buddy and have them ask the follow-up!
Below are some questions that we'd like the Board to answer. Some are topical and some are long-standing issues, but all of them are focused on racism within the OTW and the projects it manages. Feel free to take one to the next meeting copy & paste style, or simply use them as a starting point for your own questions.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Why doesn't the OTW have a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee? Are there plans to create one?
When was the last time you met with the diversity consultant research officer? What did you discuss and what kind of obstacles have they encountered?
What goals do you have for a diversity consultant? What do you hope the diversity consultant will be able to provide?
At the last meeting you said the diversity consultant research officer will be speaking to people within the OTW "so she can get a clearer picture of what OTW leadership and volunteers expect from a consultant, what concerns they have, and what they see as priorities for this work." Are there any plans for the DCRO to speak with fans of color who use the org's platforms, to hear their concerns and get a sense of their priorities for this work?
How has the OTW reached out to fans of color to determine their priorities in making OTW's platforms more welcoming places?
Given the long delay in hiring a diversity consultant, why has the OTW taken little other action on policy changes that don't require a consultant to implement?
How have internal conflicts hampered the OTW's ability to meet the goals set out in the 2022-2025 Vision Statement to prioritize diversity and increase inclusion within the organization?
Why did it take the OTW almost a month to acknowledge the #EndOTWRacism protest?
What can fans outside the org do to help speed along the work of making the OTW a more anti-racist space?
Chinese-speaking Fandom
Why did the OTW shut down the AO3 Weibo account? How was this decision made? Are there plans to reinstate it?
There are allegations that the OTW put mainland Chinese volunteers at risk by deciding to include politically sensitive languages on the Archive, and that a sitting Board member was dismissive of that risk and made inappropriate comments about Chinese-speaking volunteers and fans. What happened and what has the Board done to make this right?
After the sinophobia and racism faced by one of the candidates for the OTW Board in the last election, what does the OTW intend to do to protect future candidates and prevent the spread of racist misinformation about candidates?
Policy & Abuse
How does the Board plan to empower the Policy & Abuse Committee to handle cases of racial harassment?
The May 2023 newsletter reports that the review of AO3's Terms of Service for revisions that would allow Policy & Abuse to address different types of harassment not covered under the current TOS is still in progress, but also that "Policy & Abuse and Legal teams have agreed on some changes about harassment in general, and about works created with the clear intent of making AO3 unwelcoming." What are these changes? When can we expect them to be put into effect?
These are really just a few of the many questions we have for the Board. If you have your own questions, please show up and ask them! But if you can't make the meeting, or don't feel comfortable attending, you can always write to the OTW Board (third option on the drop-down menu) and pose your questions – or any of these! – in a letter.
And if you'd like to be informed of future Board meetings and any actions we plan around them, you can join our mailing list! Just check the "OTW Board Meeting" box.
—The Fandom Against Racism Team
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