This statement concerns AWM’s actions related to California’s AB 1887 and the AWM Symposium at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

The United States has a centuries long history of anti-LGBTQ legislation that began to be challenged and overturned only as recently as the 1960s. In the past decade many states have enacted new anti-LGBTQ laws. In response to this trend, California legislators passed AB 1887, which states that “California must take action to avoid supporting or financing discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people” as “it is the policy of the State of California to promote fairness and equality and to combat discrimination.” Currently, the list of states subject to California’s ban on state-funded travel are Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas (see https://oag.ca.gov/ab1887).

After learning about the California policy, the AWM took steps to support attendance for people who, under AB 1887, could not request travel funds from the State of California. While our intention was to help members from underrepresented groups in mathematics be part of the symposium, we realize that our actions, despite our best intentions, undermined the spirit and the fiscal purpose of the California policy. The AWM regrets its insensitivity to the nature and purpose of the policy.

Like the State of California, the AWM seeks to promote fairness and equality for all. While we recognize that our symposium is a national event, it is also, to a large extent, a local event where we can support and honor women and LGBTQ mathematicians who live and work in Texas. To reaffirm our commitment to LGBTQ issues in Texas and beyond, the AWM will be making a donation to The Montrose Center (https://www.montrosecenter.org/) a Houston organization that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and their families, through a wide variety of programs.

We appreciate the complexities of this issue and, as always, we welcome feedback from our members and invite the AWM community to consider how we can best support the LGBTQ community of Houston and beyond. Rice University has warmly welcomed the AWM, and has been very supportive of LGBTQ issues. We look forward to seeing you at the 2019 Research Symposium.