The WFTDA leadership is making an explicit commitment to improving diversity and inclusion within the WFTDA. We believe that the member-approved gender statement demonstrates that — with respect to the important and sometimes controversial issues that face our organization — the WFTDA is able to learn, change, and grow. With the involvement of the WFTDA and wider roller derby community, we are committed to continuing these efforts.

The diversity of our member leagues, volunteers, staff, and community makes the WFTDA stronger, and becoming more broadly representative will further strengthen the WFTDA. Although we feel that diversity and inclusiveness have always been implicit values of the WFTDA, we are explicitly committing to these values, and to activities and efforts that increase our diversity as an organization.

As a value, “diversity” refers to many things: socioeconomic status (social class), gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, ability, culture, language, and all of the categories of social difference that exist among our members. By making this commitment, the WFTDA will work to ensure that diversity is a value that informs all of our daily operations. We want every WFTDA skater, volunteer, and staff person to take ownership of this value, and be an active participant in this commitment.

The reason we are telling you this now is that we would like for this to be a dialogue that happens both within the WFTDA, and between the WFTDA and the entire roller derby community. We are making these commitments publicly so that as a community, we can maintain the momentum around this issue, and remain accountable for making change beyond this announcement.

We will keep the community updated about ways to engage in this ongoing effort and conversation as it evolves.

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