https://stallman-report.org/

Scan ID:: f00ad796-afc6-4f74-91c0-7b24d8cf9477Finished
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https://www.gnu.org/	GNU
https://www.fsf.org/	Free Software Foundation
https://hotline.rainn.org/online	live chat online
https://www.hotpeachpages.net/	HotPeachPages
https://childhelplineinternational.org/helplines/	Child Helpline International
https://stallman.org/archives/2019-jul-oct.html#14_September_2019_(Sex_between_an_adult_and_a_child_is_wrong)	stallman.org, 14 September 2019 “Sex between an adult and a child is wrong”
https://www.stallman.org/archives/2006-mar-jun.html#05%20June%202006%20(Dutch%20paedophiles%20form%20political%20party)	stallman.org, 05 June 2006 “Dutch paedophiles form political party”
https://stallman.org/notes/2020-jul-oct.html#26_October_2020_(BIBO:_company_reports_tweets_to_thugs)	stallman.org, 16 October 2020, “BIBO: company reports tweets to thugs”
https://www.stallman.org/glossary.html#thug	stallman.org, “Glossary”
https://www.stallman.org/antiglossary.html#children	stallman.org, “Anti-Glossary”
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  <h2>The Stallman report</h2>
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  <main>
<h3 style="text-align: center">October 14th, 2024</h3>
<p>Richard Stallman (aka “RMS”) is the founder of <a href="https://www.gnu.org/">GNU</a> and the
<a href="https://www.fsf.org/">Free Software Foundation</a> and present-day voting member of the Free Software
Foundation (FSF) board of directors and “Chief GNUisance” of the GNU project. He
is responsible for innumerable contributions to the free software movement,
setting its guiding principles, organizing political action, and directly
contributing to a flourishing free software ecosystem. The majority of
Stallman’s political activity has been of priceless value to society at large.</p>
<p>However, Stallman has been the subject of numerous allegations of misconduct.
Stallman has also incited numerous controversies for advancing a political
agenda which normalizes sexual misconduct and advocates for reforming our social
and legal understanding of sexual conduct in a manner which benefits the
perpetrators of abuse.</p>
<p>On the basis that Stallman has not demonstrated an understanding of his
misconduct; has not apologized for allegations of misconduct, alleged or
corroborated; continues to publish his harmful political program; and does not
acknowledge or apologize for harm done in the course of this program, this
report reiterates the position that Stallman should be removed from the board of
directors at the Free Software Foundation.</p>
<p>To support this case, we have catalogued the following:</p>
<ol>
<li>Primary sources documenting Stallman’s political advocacy for:
<ul>
<li>The normalization of sexual relations between adults and minors
<a href="#topicref-1">[1]</a>
</li>
<li>Defense of individuals both accused and convicted of sexual crimes,
including the rape of minors, sexual assault, and sexual harassment
<a href="#topicref-2">[2]</a>
</li>
<li>Dismissal of legal norms regarding sexual assault
<a href="#topicref-3">[3]</a>
</li>
<li>Dismissal of legal norms regarding sexual harassment
<a href="#topicref-4">[4]</a>
</li>
<li>Support for the possession of child sexual abuse material
<a href="#topicref-5">[5]</a>
</li>
<li>Legal and social normalization of sex between humans and animals
<a href="#topicref-6">[6]</a>
</li>
<li>Legal and social normalization of sex with corpses (necrophilia)
<a href="#topicref-7">[7]</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Credible allegations of sexual misconduct regarding Stallman
<a href="#topicref-8">[8]</a>
</li>
<li>Misconduct of the Free Software Foundation board of directors
<a href="#topicref-9">[9]</a>
</li>
<li>Calls from the free software community for Stallman’s removal
<a href="#topicref-10">[10]</a>
</li>
<li>Recommendations for reconciliation and closure
<a href="#topicref-11">[11]</a>
</li>
</ol>
<div class="editor-note">
	<p><strong>Content warning</strong>: This report catalogues and directly quotes hundreds of
statements from Richard Stallman of an extremely offensive nature on subjects
including rape, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of
children, and more. Sensitive readers are <strong>strongly advised</strong> to proceed with
caution.</p>
<p>If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual violence, help is
available. The United States National Sexual Assault Hotline can be reached at
800-656-HOPE (4673), and is available for <a href="https://hotline.rainn.org/online">live chat
online</a> 24/7. You can speak to a trained
expert for confidential support at any time.</p>
<p>International readers are directed to
<a href="https://www.hotpeachpages.net/">HotPeachPages</a> for resources in your location
and your language, and <a href="https://childhelplineinternational.org/helplines/">Child Helpline International</a>
provides international resources specifically aimed at the needs of children and
young people.</p>

</div>

<h2 id="statement-regarding-stallmans-medical-situation">
	Statement regarding Stallman’s medical situation
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#statement-regarding-stallmans-medical-situation"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h2>
<p>We understand that Richard Stallman was diagnosed with follicular
lymphoma in 2023.<sup id="fnref:1"><a href="#fn:1" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">1</a></sup> We are pleased to hear that his prognosis is good and
his cancer is in remission. We wish Stallman good health, a peaceful recovery,
and many more years of health.</p>
<p>We are not of the opinion that Stallman’s cancer diagnosis absolves him of
responsibility for his actions, past and present. We urge Stallman to reconsider
his controversial political positions and issue retractions and/or apologies to
the extent that his health permits him to do so, and draw attention to the fact
that Stallman continues to forward his controversial views following his
diagnosis. We also urge the free software community to hold Stallman accountable
for his actions and to contend with our history of sexism and tolerating abuse.</p>
<h2 id="why-publish-this-report">
	Why publish this report?
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#why-publish-this-report"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h2>
<p>Richard Stallman has a profound influence on the free software community and our
movement. He is responsible for defining the four freedoms that steer us, he has
written all of our principal philosophy, he founded our foundational software
projects, and he is venerated as our ideological leader.</p>
<p>Richard Stallman has also embarked upon a decades-long political project to
normalize sexual violence. Under his ideological leadership, the free software
movement is unsafe, particularly for women. Women represent just 3% of the free
software community,<sup id="fnref:2"><a href="#fn:2" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">2</a></sup> compared to 23% of industry
programmers generally.<sup id="fnref:3"><a href="#fn:3" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">3</a></sup> This is no accident. There is a
pervasive culture of sexism and a stark lack of accountability in free software,
and it begins with Stallman’s unchallenged and reprehensible behavior.</p>
<p>The case against Stallman is clear, and yet the free software community has
failed to act, in particular at the level of institutions and leadership but
also in the form of grassroots support for Stallman. Many defenses of Stallman
rely on a comfortable ignorance: ignorance of the scope and depth of Stallman’s
political campaign against women and victims of sexual violence, or a
comfortable belief that Stallman ceased his problematic behavior following his
2021 re-instatement in the Free Software Foundation. Some believe that
Stallman’s speech has not caused material harm, or that his fringe views are not
taken seriously; we provide evidence to dismiss all of these arguments in this
report.</p>
<p>Ignorance of the case against Stallman is due in part to the scattered and
disorganized nature of information regarding Stallman’s misconduct. Many of
those who raise a defense of Stallman have heard one or two uncorroborated
allegations of misconduct or one or two examples of years-old problematic
quotes, and understandably find it easier to excuse it as such. Furthermore,
those most directly accountable for Stallman’s behavior are the members of the
Free Software Foundation board of directors, and their misconduct in handling
the case is not widely known; this report brings this misconduct to light. By
carefully organizing information about Stallman’s misconduct and the misconduct
of the FSF board of directors into a single, comprehensive and exhaustively
cited report, the appeal to ignorance is no longer applicable.</p>
<p>This report collects hundreds of primary sources from 2003 to 2024 which clearly
demonstrate Stallman’s harmful political program and misconduct, meticulously
cataloged, analyzed, and subject to factual rebuttals. If the free software
community cannot address the blatant misconduct of Richard Stallman in the face
of overwhelming evidence, the free software community is not safe, and cannot be
made safe. Our institutions and our community must act. We have made several
recommendations for such actions at the end of the report.</p>
<p>First, we will justify our unqualified condemnation of Richard Stallman.</p>
<h2 id="stallmans-political-statements">
	Stallman’s political statements
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#stallmans-political-statements"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h2>
<p>Richard Stallman maintains a collection of political notes on his
website.<sup id="fnref:4"><a href="#fn:4" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">4</a></sup> He frequently publishes short political opinions on
his website here on a wide variety of topics. In this report we draw attention
to his political program on sex, drawing from his political notes as a primary
source.</p>
<p>Note that all quotes sourced from Stallman’s website for this report are direct
quotes of material publicly available at the time this report was prepared in
September 2024.<sup id="fnref:5"><a href="#fn:5" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">5</a></sup> You may click any citation to
view it on Stallman’s website.</p>
<h3 id="analysis-of-stallmans-published-comments">
	Analysis of Stallman’s published comments
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#analysis-of-stallmans-published-comments"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>We have catalogued comments published by Stallman, mostly in the political notes
section of his personal website, and categorized comments of interest. Each link
leads to a page which provides a complete list of comments applicable to each
category. Some comments have been reproduced in multiple categories.</p>
<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Category</th>
      <th>Dates applicable</th>
      <th colspan="3">Occurrences</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <th></th>
      <th></th>
      <th>Total</th>
      <th colspan="2">Retracted</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <th></th>
      <th></th>
      <th></th>
      <th>Yes</th>
      <th>No</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td><a href="/on-children">Distinction between "children" and other minors</a></td>
      <td>2003-2024</td>
      <td>124</td>
      <td colspan="2">n/a</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><a href="/on-child-pornography">Support of child sexual abuse material</a></td>
      <td>2003-2019</td>
      <td>55</td>
      <td>0</td>
      <td>55</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><a href="/defense-of-sexual-misconduct">Defense of sexual misconduct</a></td>
      <td>2006-2023</td>
      <td>37</td>
      <td>1</td>
      <td>36</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><a href="/on-sex-with-minors">Support of sex between adults and minors</a></td>
      <td>2006-2019</td>
      <td>34</td>
      <td>5</td>
      <td>29</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><a href="/on-sexual-assault">Misrepresentation of sexual assault</a></td>
      <td>2015-2024</td>
      <td>24</td>
      <td>1</td>
      <td>23</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><a href="/on-sexual-harassment">Misrepresentation of sexual harassment</a></td>
      <td>2014-2018</td>
      <td>13</td>
      <td>0</td>
      <td>13</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><a href="/on-bestiality/">Support of bestiality</a></td>
      <td>2003-2018</td>
      <td>12</td>
      <td>0</td>
      <td>12</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><a href="/on-necrophilia">Support of necrophilia</a></td>
      <td>2003-2013</td>
      <td>3</td>
      <td>0</td>
      <td>3</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>
<p><a id="topicref-1"></a></p>
<h3 id="normalization-of-sexual-relations-between-adults-and-minors">
	Normalization of sexual relations between adults and minors
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#normalization-of-sexual-relations-between-adults-and-minors"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>Richard Stallman has consistently advanced the political position that minors
can consent to sex with adults. Stallman’s position on minors having sex with
adults is the only position addressed in this report for which Stallman has
issued a retraction:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Many years ago I posted that I could not see anything wrong about sex between
an adult and a child, if the child accepted it.</p>
<p>Through personal conversations in recent years, I’ve learned to understand how
sex with a child can harm per<sup id="fnref:6"><a href="#fn:6" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">6</a></sup> psychologically. This changed my mind
about the matter: I think adults should not do that. I am grateful for the
conversations that enabled me to understand why.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2019-jul-oct.html#14_September_2019_(Sex_between_an_adult_and_a_child_is_wrong)">stallman.org, 14 September 2019 “Sex between an adult and a child is wrong”</a></p>
<p>However, as we will show, Stallman’s retraction is misleading and does not cover
the majority of his past statements on the subject. In short, we will show that
Stallman’s 2019 retraction only addresses his views regarding sex between adults
and pre-pubescent minors, and this retraction does not account for minors above
the age of 12 or 13.</p>
<p>Our report catalogues 34 political comments from Stallman making a political
case for sexual relationships between adults and minors. A strict reading of the
retraction applies it only to the singular political note that it references,
which Stallman has updated accordingly:</p>
<details class="retraction">
	<summary>This quote is covered by Stallman's 2019 retraction. Click to show.</summary>
	<blockquote>
<p>Dutch pedophiles have formed a political party to campaign for legalization.</p>
<p>I am skeptical of the claim that voluntarily pedophilia harms children. The
arguments that it causes harm seem to be based on cases which aren’t
voluntary, which are then stretched by parents who are horrified by the idea
that their little baby is maturing.</p>
<p>[Many years after posting this note, I had conversations with people who had
been sexually abused as children and had suffered harmful effects. These
conversations eventually convinced me that the practice is harmful and adults
should not do it.]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://www.stallman.org/archives/2006-mar-jun.html#05%20June%202006%20(Dutch%20paedophiles%20form%20political%20party)">stallman.org, 05 June 2006 “Dutch paedophiles form political party”</a></p>

</details>

<p>Stallman has not updated similar comments with the same retraction. However, in
good faith we have assumed that the retraction applies to any comments which
would apply to minors under the age of 12 or 13, or explicitly refers to
“children”. Accounting for this, our catalog of Stallman’s 34 comments in
support of sex between adults and minors indicates that four have been fully
retracted and one has been partially retracted.</p>
<p><a href="/on-sex-with-minors">Appendix: Stallman on sexual relations between adults and minors</a></p>
<hr>
<p>We justify our interpretation by citing 124 primary sources in which Stallman
insists on a distinction between “children” and other minors, in particular
teenagers. Our sources are dated from 2003 to 2024; Stallman has emphasized that
teenagers are distinct from “children”, on average, once every 9 weeks since
2003. Stallman has made this distinction 42 times following his 2019 retraction,
an average of once every 6½ weeks since the retraction.</p>
<p><a href="/on-children">Appendix: Stallman’s idiolectical use of “child”</a></p>
<p>To understand Stallman’s remarks on sexual relationships between adults and
minors, we must show how Stallman distinguishes between “children” and other
minors.</p>
<p>Stallman is particular about his use of language, and a reading of his political
notes must be paired with an understanding of his idiolect. Stallman uses
numerous unconventional definitions and terminology in his political notes and
does so with rigour and consistency. In order to assist the reader in
interpreting Stallman’s political notes, he provides two resources on his
website: a glossary<sup id="fnref:7"><a href="#fn:7" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">7</a></sup> and an “anti-glossary”<sup id="fnref:8"><a href="#fn:8" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">8</a></sup>.</p>
<p>Consider the following political note:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The company Dataminr tries to scan all posted tweets to find anything
suggestive of possible violent intent, and report it to the thugs.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://stallman.org/notes/2020-jul-oct.html#26_October_2020_(BIBO:_company_reports_tweets_to_thugs)">stallman.org, 16 October 2020, “BIBO: company reports tweets to thugs”</a></p>
<p>Out of context, the reader may be confused as to who the “thugs” are. The
glossary answers:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Thugs</strong>: the armed, usually uniformed marauders that attack protesters and
blacks, and make false accusations against them.</p>
<p>Usually only a few thugs commit the physical violence, but when one thug makes
a false accusation, the rest lie to support it. That’s why they deserve the
term “thugs” as a group. They are so habituated to perjury that they have
their own word for it: “testilying”.</p>
<p>A few members of thug departments are upright and refuse to support the
others’ lies. They are the honorable exceptions, and I express my respect for
them by calling them “police officers”.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://www.stallman.org/glossary.html#thug">stallman.org, “Glossary”</a></p>
<p>It follows that when Stallman says the word “thug”, he is referring to the
police, and indeed his use of the word “thug” is consistent with this in
thousands of his political notes. Many banal words and phrases are given a
similar treatment in his political notes and the two glossaries serve as a guide
for readers to interpret and understand his political notes as such.</p>
<p>Notably, the following definition also appears in Stallman’s anti-glossary:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Children</strong>: Humans up to age 12 or 13 are children. After that, they become
adolescents or teenagers. Let’s resist the practice of infantilizing
teenagers, by not calling them “children”.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://www.stallman.org/antiglossary.html#children">stallman.org, “Anti-Glossary”</a></p>
<p>That Stallman’s use of the word “child” is consistent with this idiolectical
definition and is re-enforced throughout Stallman’s political notes. He has
drawn a distinction between children and teenagers numerous times, which this
report catalogues in an appendix.</p>
<p><a href="/on-children">Appendix: Stallman’s idiolectical use of “child”</a></p>
<p>Stallman has made this distinction most recently in June 2024:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Please do not use the word “children” or “child” to refer to anyone under age
18. A 17-year-old is not a child. A 13-year-old is a teenager.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://www.stallman.org/archives/2024-mar-jun.html#16_June_2024_(Online_addictive-feeds_law,_NY)">stallman.org, 16 June 2024 “Online addictive-feeds law NY”</a></p>
<p>Stallman’s insistence on distinguishing children from other minors, in
particular teenagers, is often made with sexual overtures. For example, in
December 2023:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The intended purpose of that law is to prevent minors from accessing porn
sites. To exclude everyone under 18 is unreasonably strict. They try to
justify this by referring to all minors as “children”. Even a person of age
17 is a “child” according to them.</p>
<p>To exclude only children – real children – from porn sites might be ok in
principle. But how to determine whether a given user is under the specified
age? The methods mentioned in the article either directly require a user to
identify perself, or indirectly require per to make perself vulnerable to
being identified.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2023-sep-dec.html#6_December_2023_(UK_age_verification_for_porn_sites)">stallman.org, 6 December 2023 “UK age verification for porn sites”</a></p>
<p>Or in April 2018, explicitly making this distinction in support of sexual
activity between adults and minors (denying the experience of two rape victims
in the process, see <a href="#defense-of-sexual-misconduct">defense of sexual misconduct</a>):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It sounds horrible: “UN peacekeepers accused of child rape in South Sudan.”
But the article makes it pretty clear that the “children” involved were not
children. They were teenagers.</p>
<p>What about “rape”? Was this really rape? Or did they have sex willingly, and
prudes want to call it “rape” to make it sound like an injustice? We can’t
tell from the article which one it is.</p>
<p>Rape means coercing someone to have sex. Precisely because that is a grave and
clear wrong, using the same name for something much less grave is a
distortion.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-mar-jun.html#30_April_2018_(UN_peacekeepers_in_South_Sudan)">stallman.org, 30 April 2018 “UN peacekeepers in South Sudan”</a></p>
<p>This report considers Stallman’s idiolectical use of “child”, established in his
“anti-glossary” and re-enforced throughout his political notes, supports the
interpretation that his retraction only addresses sexual relationships between
adults and children up to the age of “12 or 13”, and that political notes which
remark upon sexual relationships between minors above the age of 12 or 13 are
not covered by his 2019 retraction.</p>
<hr>
<p><a id="minor-adult-sex-rebuttal"></a></p>
<p>We now offer a rebuttal of Stallman’s political position regarding sexual
relations between adults and minors.</p>
<p><a href="/on-sex-with-minors">Appendix: Stallman on sexual relations between adults and minors</a></p>
<p>Sexual relationships between adults and minors are prohibited by social and
legal norms because a differential of life and sexual experiences between adults
and minors enables adults to manipulate minors for the purpose of sexual
gratification. This bears out in statistics that highlight the risks sexual
relationships with adults impose on young girls in particular.</p>
<p>Older men often manipulate minors into unsafe sexual practices, leading to
undesirable outcomes for their victims. Young girls are often unprepared to
negotiate the use of contraception with an older partner, resulting in teenage
girls having unprotected sex at a rate that increases by 11% for each year older
their partner is. (Manlove, Ryan, Franzetta 2007)<sup id="fnref:9"><a href="#fn:9" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">9</a></sup>
Minors who have sexual relationships with
partners 5 or more years older are 3.7 times more likely to experience an
unwanted pregnancy (Planned Parenthood, 2004; Darroch et al.,
1999)<sup id="fnref:10"><a href="#fn:10" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">10</a></sup> <sup id="fnref:11"><a href="#fn:11" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">11</a></sup> and twice as likely to acquire a
sexually transmitted infection (STI) than peers who have partners similar in age
(Ryan, Franzetta 2008).<sup id="fnref:12"><a href="#fn:12" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">12</a></sup></p>
<p>Young women aged 15 to 17 who have had a relationship with a partner five years
or older than themselves have been forced to have sex at twice the rate of young
women who have only had similar-age relationships (Darroch 1999).<sup id="fnref1:11"><a href="#fn:11" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">11</a></sup>
Minors who experience these rapes have poorer life outcomes than their peers;
women who are raped before the age of 18 are twice as likely to be raped in
adulthood (Tjaden, Thoennes 2000)<sup id="fnref:13"><a href="#fn:13" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">13</a></sup> and experience
significantly higher incidences of domestic abuse, mental health problems, low
self-esteem, and long-term intimacy problems in adulthood (Flemming et al
1999).<sup id="fnref:14"><a href="#fn:14" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">14</a></sup> Abuse involving sexual intercourse increases this risk by
a factor of two (Flemming et al 1999).<sup id="fnref1:14"><a href="#fn:14" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">14</a></sup></p>
<hr>
<p><em>Note on the sexual abuse of young men:</em></p>
<p><em>This report does not deny the experiences of young men who are victims of
sexual abuse. However, young heterosexual women are at a much higher risk of
exploitation than young heterosexual men (about 5× higher). The academic
literature tends to focus on the experiences of heterosexual young women as a
result, creating a gender bias that is unfortunately reproduced in our report
due to a lack of reliable sources. However, it is noted by Manlove et al. that
young boys who have sex before the age of 16 with an older partner are more than
twice as likely to father a child as a teen than young boys with similar aged
partners.</em><sup id="fnref1:9"><a href="#fn:9" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">9</a></sup></p>
<hr>
<p>Stallman often makes the claim that it is normal for adults to be sexually
attracted to minors. On one occasion he has likened condemnation of this
attraction to homosexual conversion therapy:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Research found that men generally find females of age 18 the most attractive.</p>
<p>This accords with the view that Stendhal reported in France in the 1800s, that
a woman’s most beautiful years were from 16 to 20.</p>
<p>Although this attitude on men’s part is normal, the author still wants to
present it as wrong or perverted, and implicitly demands men somehow control
their attraction to direct it elsewhere. Which is as absurd, and as
potentially oppressive, as claiming that homosexuals should control their
attraction and direct it towards to the other sex. Will men be pressured to
undergo “age conversion therapy” intended to brainwash them to feel attracted
mainly to women of their own age?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://www.stallman.org/archives/2018-jul-oct.html#21_August_2018_(Age_and_attraction)">stallman.org, 21 August 2018 “Age and attraction”</a></p>
<p>The presumption that adult attraction to minors is “normal” is difficult to
characterize. The prevalence of adults with an attraction to post-pubescent
minors is unknown. The prevalence of adults with an attraction to pre-pubescent
minors is better studied, but poorly estimated; estimates for men are generally
around 5% (Seto 2009).<sup id="fnref:15"><a href="#fn:15" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">15</a></sup> However, the editors note that pedophilia is
understood as a psychological pathology by the medical literature and is noted
as such by its inclusion in the DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).<sup id="fnref:16"><a href="#fn:16" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">16</a></sup></p>
<p>Additionally, it is factually incorrect to assume that sexual abuse of minors is
motivated by a sexual attraction to minors. Studies show that only about 50% of
sexual exploitation of minors is motivated by sexual attraction.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Although this preference increases the risk of engaging in CSA, only about 50%
of all individuals who do sexually abuse children are pedophilic (Blanchard et
al., 2001; Schaefer et al., 2010) and not every pedophilic individual actually
has abused children. The other 50% of individuals that have abused children
are those who do so without a sexual attraction to children; i.e., they lack
the necessary social skills to develop and maintain emotional and sexual
relationships with appropriately aged peers and look to “replacement partners”
in children as a kind of “surrogate” (Beier, 1998; Seto, 2008; Mokros et al.,
2012b). (Tenbergen et al, 2015)<sup id="fnref:17"><a href="#fn:17" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">17</a></sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p><a id="topicref-2"></a></p>
<h3 id="defense-of-sexual-misconduct">
	Defense of sexual misconduct
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#defense-of-sexual-misconduct"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>Stallman’s political notes frequently respond to news articles about sexual
crimes by downplaying the severity of the crime and advocating on behalf of the
offender. Stallman’s political notes consistently contribute to a broader
harmful discourse which silences the experiences of victims of sexual violence.</p>
<p>This report catalogues 37 examples of Stallman expressing a defense of
individuals accused of or convicted of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or
rape (statutory or otherwise). The report only considers occasions where
Stallman acknowledges or assumes that the sexual act took place, or presents his
arguments as if it had taken place. We have omitted other occasions where
Stallman does not presume the act had taken place, for instance occasions where
Stallman emphasizes the presumption of innocence in legal proceedings.</p>
<p><a href="/defense-of-sexual-misconduct">Appendix: Stallman’s defense of sexual misconduct</a></p>
<p>Among these sources we have identified at least 567 separate victims of sexual
misconduct whose experience was downplayed or dismissed by
Stallman.<sup id="fnref:18"><a href="#fn:18" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">18</a></sup></p>
<p><a id="rhetorical-harm"></a></p>
<p>It is demonstrable that Stallman’s defenses of sexual misconduct cause material
harm to victims. Rhetoric which denies or downplays a victim’s experience of
sexual misconduct causes harm:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>One of the most important factors that predicts severity of post-trauma
symptomatology in any rape victim is the post-trauma response received from
the environment. For example, where a victims’ experience of rape is ignored
(deliberately or as a result of people simply not knowing), not recognised,
minimised, or both; and where victims are blamed, judged as culpable, met with
further violence, violation, or both. Lack of empathy and understanding can,
therefore, reduce the prospects for a recovery. (Mason, Lodrick 2013)<sup id="fnref:19"><a href="#fn:19" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">19</a></sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) in victims of
sexual assault which are exacerbated by rhetoric similar to Stallman’s are
severe. It is also noted that the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in
sexual assault victims are exacerbated if the victim is very young.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Post-traumatic stress disorder is an extremely distressing and disabling
condition. Intrusive symptoms such as ﬂashbacks, nightmares and feeling as
though the assault is reoccurring are profoundly upsetting to individuals who
experience them. Their psychological response is often to become avoidant of
thoughts, feelings, places and other reminders of the assault.
(Mason, Lodrick 2013)<sup id="fnref1:19"><a href="#fn:19" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">19</a></sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Exposure to Stallman’s rhetoric not only harms the victims of the incidents to
which he refers, but also harms victims of similar experiences which are exposed
to his remarks.</p>
<p>Stallman’s defenses of sexual misconduct rely on a number of recurring premises.
A common defense relies on Stallman’s insistence that minors over the age of 12
or 13 are sexually mature and can meaningfully consent to having sex with an
adult. Consider Stallman’s remarks on the case of Cody Wilson:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Cody Wilson has been charged with “sexual assault” on a “child” after a
session with a sex worker of age 16. (…)</p>
<p>The article refers to the sex worker as a “child”, but that is not so.
Elsewhere it has been published that she is 16 years old. That is late
adolescence, not childhood.</p>
<p>Calling teenagers “children” encourages treating teenagers as children, a
harmful practice which retards their development into capable adults.</p>
<p>In this case, the effect of that mislabeling is to smear Wilson. It is rare,
and considered perverse, for adults to be physically attracted to children.
However, it is normal for adults to be physically attracted to adolescents.
Since the claim sbout[<em>sic</em>] Wilson is the latter, it is wrong to present it
as the former.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2018-jul-oct.html#23_September_2018_(Cody_Wilson)">stallman.org, 23 September 2018 “Cody Wilson”</a></p>
<p>Laws regarding rape are more general than cases of outwardly apparent coercion.
We have provided a general rebuttal of Stallman’s political position on sexual
relations between adults and minors <a href="#minor-adult-sex-rebuttal">elsewhere in the
report</a>.</p>
<p>Other defenses of sexual misconduct by Stallman focus on an insistence on
appropriate use of language in order to establish the “gravity” of the crime in
order to determine how the public should “judge” an offender. This defense is
often associated with Stallman’s fixation on the term “sexual assault”, which we
cover <a href="#dismissal-of-legal-norms-regarding-sexual-assault">elsewhere in this report</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Jelani Maraj (who I had never heard of) could be imprisoned for a long time
for “sexual assault”. What does that concretely mean?</p>
<p>Due to the vagueness of the term “sexual assault” together with the dishonest
law that labels sex with adolescents as “rape” even if they are willing, we
cannot tell from this article what sort of acts Maraj was found to have
committed. So we can’t begin to judge whether those acts were wrong.</p>
<p>I see at least three possibilities. Perhaps those acts really constituted
rape — it is a possibility. Or perhaps the two had sex willingly, but her
parents freaked out and demanded prosecution. Or, intermediate between those
two, perhaps he pressured her into having sex, or got her drunk.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://www.stallman.org/archives/2017-nov-feb.html#13_November_2017_(Jelani_Maraj)">stallman.org, 13 November 2017 “Jelani Maraj”</a></p>
<p>In this comment, Stallman belittles the experience of a rape
victim<sup id="fnref:20"><a href="#fn:20" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">20</a></sup> and argues for the following positions:</p>
<ol>
<li>Adolescents can consent to sex with adults (<a href="#minor-adult-sex-rebuttal">rebuttal</a>)</li>
<li>Pressuring someone into sex is an “intermediate” offense between overtly
consensual sex and sexual assault.</li>
<li>Making someone drunk for the purpose of sexual assault is “intermediate”
offense between overtly consensual sex and sexual assault.</li>
</ol>
<p>This is an example of Stallman’s regular insistence that sexual crimes be
discussed in highly specific language for the purpose of establishing the
gravity of the crime so that the public may judge the offender by measures.</p>
<p>Moreover, in this respect Stallman’s defenses of sexual misconduct are based on
a dismissal of the importance of consent. Stallman consistently defends
scenarios where he presumes consent due to a perceived absence of violent
coercion.</p>
<p>This form of defense also appears in Stallman’s frequent defenses of Julian
Assange.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Personal attacks against Julian Assange are used to distract attention from
the heroic achievements of Wikileaks.</p>
<p>Ironically, this article itself exaggerates criticism of Assange by stating
that the allegations against him consist of “rape” — they do not.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2012-may-aug.html#2_July_2012_(Attacks)">stallman.org, 2 July 2012 “Attacks”</a></p>
<p>The editors acknowledge that the political circumstances surrounding allegations
of sexual misconduct by Julian Assange may represent due cause to doubt the
allegations. However, we draw attention to the fact that Stallman does not argue
from a presumption of Assange’s innocence, but rather from an objection to the
presumed act being classified as rape.</p>
<p>Among other accusations, one of the presumed acts is that a woman woke up to
discover Assange having unprotected sex with her as she slept. The two had had
consensual sex the prior evening on the condition that Assange used a condom. We
can conclude that Stallman dismisses the conditional nature of the victim’s
consent regarding condoms, and argues that the consent agreed upon on the prior
evening “carries over” to sex with a sleeping victim the following morning.
Stallman made this clear on August 12th, 2012:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If Assange had sex with a sleeping woman, the morning after they had sex and
then slept together, was that rape? MP George Galloway says no.</p>
<p>Waking up your lover with sex is a tradition that has given pleasure to many,
and prohibiting it by designating it as rape is absurd. If that’s what the law
says in some country, that law is absurd.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2012-may-aug.html#21_August_2012_(Assange)">stallman.org, 21 August 2012 “Assange”</a></p>
<p>We also identify one additional theme in Stallman’s defenses of sexual
misconduct, which are based on an outright misrepresentation of the events
concerned. For example, in response to a case where Ohio State athletics teacher
Dr Richard Strauss was revealed to have sexually abused 177 students over the
course of 20 years, Stallman writes the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Should we accept stretching the terms “sexual abuse” and “molestation” to
include looking without touching?</p>
<p>I do not accept it.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://www.stallman.org/archives/2019-may-aug.html#11_June_2019_(Stretching_meaning_of_terms)">stallman.org, 11 June 2019 “Stretching meaning of terms”</a></p>
<p>The article Stallman cites includes the following quote:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Many of Strauss’s accusers who have spoken publicly said they were masturbated
or otherwise touched inappropriately during physical exams or leered at in the
locker rooms.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/17/ohio-state-report-reveals-team-doctor-sexually-abused-at-least-177-athletes">The Guardian, 17 May 2019</a></p>
<p>We also cite the following example from December 2017:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Mormon feminists are challenging sexual abuse in the Mormon church, which
combines with scorn for women that aren’t “chaste” to cause great suffering.</p>
<p>There are fathers that rape their daughters — and there are also “recovered
memory therapists” that implant false memories of childhood sexual abuse that
didn’t happen. A priori, either one could have happened here. The fact that
Carol did not remember the abuse until she worked with a therapist makes me
suspect the latter. It seems that Carol’s sister also need “help” to remember.</p>
<p>I hope there is a way to determine which one really occurred.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2017-sep-dec.html#1_December_2017_(Mormon_sexual_abuse)">stallman.org, 1 December 2017 “Mormon sexual abuse”</a></p>
<p>In this example, Stallman invokes “recovered memory therapists”, which is not
referenced in the cited text, to sow doubt on the stories of Mormon survivors of
rape.</p>
<p><a id="topicref-3"></a></p>
<h3 id="dismissal-of-legal-norms-regarding-sexual-assault">
	Dismissal of legal norms regarding sexual assault
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#dismissal-of-legal-norms-regarding-sexual-assault"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>We have catalogued 24 primary sources in which Stallman misrepresents or
downplays sexual assault between 2015 and 2024 as part of a broader political
program that aims to dismiss the experiences of victims and erode social and
legal norms around sexual assault.</p>
<p><a href="/on-sexual-assault">Appendix: Stallman on sexual assault</a></p>
<p>Like “children”, in Stallman’s speech “sexual assault” is an idiolectical term
which Stallman defines in his “anti-glossary”:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Sexual assault</strong>: The term is applied to a broad range of actions, from rape
on one end, to the least physical contact on the other, as well as everything
in between. It acts as propaganda for treating them all the same. That would
be wrong.</p>
<p>The term is further stretched to include sexual harassment, which does not
refer to a single act, but rather to a series of acts that amounts to a form
of gender bias. Gender bias is rightly prohibited in certain situations for
the sake of equal opportunity, but that is a different issue.</p>
<p>I don’t think that rape should be treated the same as a momentary touch.
People we accuse have a right to those distinctions, so I am careful not to
use the term “sexual assault” to categorize the actions of any person on any
specific occasion.<sup id="fnref1:8"><a href="#fn:8" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">8</a></sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The gross misrepresentation of sexual harassment in this quote is not lost on
the editors, and is covered in the next section in detail.</p>
<p>Sexual assault is more accurately defined as an assault of a sexual nature. It
refers to an act of assault – an unwanted physical interactions – with
sexual motivations. The United States National Center for Victims of Crime
provides the following explanation:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Sexual assault is an act of forcing another person into sexual activity
against his or her will. Sexual assault takes many forms, including rape or
attempted rape, as well as any unwanted sexual contact. The crime includes
forced sexual intercourse (rape), sodomy (oral or anal sexual acts), child
molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape.<sup id="fnref:21"><a href="#fn:21" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">21</a></sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Stallman has misrepresented sexual assault many times. For instance, in October
2023, Stallman writes the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I warned that the stretchable term “sexual assault”, which extends from grave
crimes such as rape through significant crimes such as groping and down to no
clear lower bound, could be stretched to criminalize minor things, perhaps
even stealing a kiss. Now this has happened.</p>
<p>What next? Will a pat on the arm or a hug be criminalized? There is no clear
limit to how far this can go, when a group builds up enough outrage to push
it.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://www.stallman.org/archives/2023-jul-oct.html#15_October_2023_(Sexual_assault_for_stealing_a_kiss)">stallman.org, 15 October 2023 “Sexual assault for stealing a kiss”</a></p>
<p>In this note, Stallman cites the case of Luis Rubiales, who was under
investigation for kissing a female football player on television as part of a
series of incidents called the “Rubiales affair”, for which Rubiales was
indicted on criminal charges of sexual assault and faces a potential prison
sentence.<sup id="fnref:22"><a href="#fn:22" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">22</a></sup></p>
<p>The idea of “stealing a kiss” is a familiar refrain for Stallman’s program
speaking against social and legal norms around sexual assault. In 2019, he
writes:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If it is true that he persistently pressured her to kiss him, on stage and
off, if he stuck his tongue into her mouth despite her objections, that could
well be sexual harassment. He should have accepted no for an answer the first
time she said it. However, calling a kiss “sexual assault” is an exaggeration,
an attempt to equate it to much graver acts, that are crimes.</p>
<p>The term “sexual assault” encourages that injustice, and I believe it has been
popularized specifically with that intention. That is why I reject that term.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://www.stallman.org/archives/2019-jul-oct.html#30_July_2019_(Al_Franken)">stallman.org, 30 July 2019 “Al Franken”</a></p>
<p>“Stealing a kiss” is the least “grave” of the acts Stallman questions the
legitimacy of the label of sexual assault, but Stallman has also questioned its
use for incidents such as the rape of minors.<sup id="fnref:23"><a href="#fn:23" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">23</a></sup> It is this
“gravity” that Stallman fixes on when questioning sexual assault, which he
wishes to understand for the purpose of how he, and the reader, should “judge”
the offender.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Due to the vagueness of the term “sexual assault” together with the dishonest
law that labels sex with adolescents as “rape” even if they are willing, we
cannot tell from this article what sort of acts Maraj was found to have
committed. So we can’t begin to judge whether those acts were wrong.<sup id="fnref1:20"><a href="#fn:20" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">20</a></sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://www.stallman.org/archives/2017-nov-feb.html#13_November_2017_(Jelani_Maraj)">stallman.org, 13 November 2017 “Jelani Maraj”</a></p>
<p>This line of questioning is precisely the wrong response to news of sexual
assault. The vagueness of the term as presented to the public is deliberate; it
protects the privacy of both the victim and the accused. It is the concern of
the legal system to determine the severity of the offense, not the general
public.</p>
<p>The Rape, Abuse &amp; Incest National Network (RAINN) provides resources on
appropriate ways to respond to sexual assault, for instance their “TALK”
framework specifically advises against minimizing the victim’s experiences,
pressing them for details, or challenging their experience (“Are you sure that
counts as assault?” is an example given in their resources).<sup id="fnref:24"><a href="#fn:24" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">24</a></sup> RAINN
also offers the following advice:<sup id="fnref:25"><a href="#fn:25" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">25</a></sup></p>
<blockquote>
<p>It can be extremely difficult for survivors to come forward and share their
story. They may feel ashamed, concerned that they won’t be believed, or
worried they’ll be blamed. Leave any “why” questions or investigations to the
experts—your job is to support this person. Be careful not to interpret
calmness as a sign that the event did not occur—everyone responds to traumatic
events differently. The best thing you can do is to believe them.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We re-iterate the earlier position that Stallman’s rhetoric <a href="#rhetorical-harm">causes material
harm</a> to victims of sexual assault, and we have illustrated
that his political program contributes to an environment where the harm
suffered by sexual assault victims is exacerbated by creating an atmosphere of
confusion and doubt in which sexual violence can thrive.</p>
<p>On the subject of sexual assault, Stallman advances a political agenda which
systematically undermines the importance of consent in sexual and intimate
interactions, objectifying women as subjects of men’s desires, enabling men to
force their sexual desires on women, and dismissing womens’ agency in choosing
how to express intimacy and interact with others.</p>
<p><a id="topicref-4"></a></p>
<h3 id="dismissal-of-legal-norms-regarding-sexual-harassment">
	Dismissal of legal norms regarding sexual harassment
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#dismissal-of-legal-norms-regarding-sexual-harassment"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>We have catalogued 13 primary sources in which Stallman misrepresents or
downplays sexual harassment between 2014 and 2018 as part of a broader political
program that aims to erode social and legal norms around sexual harassment.</p>
<p><a href="/on-sexual-harassment">Appendix: Stallman on sexual harassment</a></p>
<p>Stallman’s “anti-glossary” indirectly defines sexual harassment in its
definition of sexual assault:<sup id="fnref2:8"><a href="#fn:8" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">8</a></sup></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The term [sexual assault] is further stretched to include sexual
harassment, which does not refer to a single act, but rather to a series of
acts that amounts to a form of gender bias. Gender bias is rightly prohibited
in certain situations for the sake of equal opportunity, but that is a
different issue.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We also note the following quote from November 2017:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The term “sexual assault” is not suitable for a serious discussion, because it
covers crimes of varying severities which call for different responses, plus
sexual harassment which is not a crime.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://www.stallman.org/archives/2017-nov-feb.html#3_November_2017_(Saboteur_of_Energy)">stallman.org, 3 November 2017 “Saboteur of Energy”</a></p>
<p>Both of these examples are gross misrepresentations of sexual harassment. The US
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission provides a more appropriate explanation:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It is unlawful to harass a person (an applicant or employee) because of that
person’s sex. Harassment can include “sexual harassment” or unwelcome sexual
advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment
of a sexual nature.</p>
<p>Harassment does not have to be of a sexual nature, however, and can include
offensive remarks about a person’s sex. For example, it is illegal to harass a
woman by making offensive comments about women in general.</p>
<p>Both victim and the harasser can be either a woman or a man, and the victim
and harasser can be the same sex.<sup id="fnref:26"><a href="#fn:26" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">26</a></sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Stallman’s remarks on sexual harassment are antifactual. Sexual harassment is a
crime, and it is not reducible to a kind of gender bias. It may consist of
several actions forming a pattern of behavior, but isolated events of sufficient
severity may also constitute sexual harassment.</p>
<p>We also note that the definition given in Stallman’s anti-glossary changed
sometime between February and March 2019. Previously it read as follows:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[Acts that constitute sexual assault] are not merely different in degree. They
are different in kind. Rape is a grave crime. Being groped is unpleasant but
not as grave as robbery. Sexual harassment is a not an action at all, but
rather a pattern of actions that constitutes economic unfairness. How can it
make sense to group these behaviors things together?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190214062917/http://www.stallman.org:80/antiglossary.html">stallman.org, “Anti-glossary”, archived February 2019 by archive.org</a></p>
<p><a id="ref-sexual-harassment-training"></a></p>
<p>Our report finds this change noteworthy on the basis that Stallman completed a
mandatory course on sexual harassment in his role at MIT in September 2018, five
months prior to the edit:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In September MIT demanded that I take an online course about sexual
harassment; although I don’t teach classes or even meet undergraduates, they
treated me like a professor on the “be overcautious at every opportunity”
principle. But I was unable to do so until MIT arranged to let me log in on
an MIT kiosk terminal and bypassed the two-factor requirement for me.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2019-may-aug.html#7_May_2019_(Mobile_phone_numbers_for_Facebook)">stallman.org, 7 May 2019 “Mobile phone numbers for Facebook”</a></p>
<p>The editors of this report sought to ascertain the nature of the training that
Stallman received. The 2018 Annual Report from MIT’s Committee on Sexual
Misconduct Prevention and Response<sup id="fnref:27"><a href="#fn:27" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">27</a></sup> states that MIT faculty
and staff members were required to complete the <em>Haven for Faculty and Staff</em>
course provided by <a href="https://everfi.com/">Everfi</a>, a US training provider which
is relied upon by many educational institutions for training its faculty
members. The editors reached out to the MIT committe and to Everfi for comment
regarding the cirriculum and did not receive a response. However, MIT’s annual
reports provide some insight into the training material. The committe’s inagural
report in 2016 describes this program as follows:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Haven’s introduction is completely customizable, including a welcome video
(e.g., from the President, Provost, or Chancellor), a list of campus resources
and contact information, and any other desired materials. The program
continues with videos on supporting survivors, encouraging bystander
intervention, and recognizing the potential for violence on campus or in the
workplace, and then provides details on Title IX and other legislation. Four
additional videos follow: “A Student Disclosure” about how to respond when a
student or employee initiates a discussion about sexual misconduct; “Always
Around” on policies and responses to stalking; “A Concerned Co‐worker” about
intimate partner violence that affects the workplace; and “Unwanted Attention”
about addressing inappropriate behavior from a supervisor. Questions are posed
before and after each video; incorrect answers trigger a gentle steering
toward the most appropriate response.<sup id="fnref:28"><a href="#fn:28" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">28</a></sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The 2018 report also provides insights into the cirruclum:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>All faculty and staff were required to complete Haven for Faculty and Staff,
an online education program that includes examples and scenarios that faculty
and staff may face around sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, and
sexual harassment.<sup id="fnref1:27"><a href="#fn:27" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">27</a></sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The committee also summarizes the outcomes of the training program in their 2019
report, which provides a few examples of specific goals associated with the
training program.<sup id="fnref:29"><a href="#fn:29" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">29</a></sup> In particular, this report draws attention
to the survey results enumerated in Appendix C, which indicate that the
program’s goals were in part to obtain favorable responses to the following
questions of note:</p>
<ul>
<li>I have a good understanding of what constitutes sexual assault, relationship
violence, stalking, and sexual harassment.</li>
<li>I am aware of strategies for preventing sexual assault, relationship violence,
stalking, and sexual harassment.</li>
<li>I am confident in my ability to respond to disclosures of sexual assault,
relationship violence, stalking, and sexual harassment.</li>
<li>A person should never be blamed for being the victim of sexual assault, abuse,
or harassment.</li>
<li>I think sexist jokes and langauge contribute to the issues of sexual assault,
relationship violence, stalking, and sexual harassment.</li>
<li>I plan to play an active role in addressing sexual assault, relationship
violence, stalking, and sexual harassment at my institution.</li>
</ul>
<p>From this we conclude that from September 2018 onwards, Stallman should have
posessed a working understanding of sexual assault and sexual harassment, as
well as the appropriate language and tone for discussing the matter,
particularly with respect to the best interests of victims. Our sources note
that Stallman’s website maintains misleading definitions of sexual assault and
sexual harassment to the present day, and we cite 15 examples of Stallman
misrepresenting sexual assault following his 2018 training.</p>
<p><a href="/on-sexual-assault">Appendix: Stallman on sexual assault</a></p>
<p>Our report notes that the sort of sexual harassment that Stallman consistently
defends has long-term effects on the well-being of victims. Young women who are
subjected to a man in a position of power “stealing a kiss” are objectified and
reduced to a sexual object with no agency over consent in their interactions, an
experience which prevents them from accessing education and employment
opportunities on equal terms with respect to their male peers. Experiences of
sexual harassment have long-term consequences for victims, including increased
rates of symptoms of anxiety and depression for months following the incident,
including in relatively “less grave” cases that Stallman defends such as sexual
jokes or remarks and unwelcome advances. (Johansson et al,
2024)<sup id="fnref:30"><a href="#fn:30" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">30</a></sup></p>
<p>A 2019 study by Pinchevsky et al also characterizes the harmful effects of
sexual harassment by distinguishing “non-contact” and “contact” harassment,
where the former does not involve physical contact between the perpetrator and
the victim.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>McGinley et al. (2016) found that experiences of non-contact SH [Sexual
Harassment] undermined the health of college students. Non-contact SH is
associated with decreased mental health (i.e., depression, anxiety) and
increased health-risk behavior such as substance use as a coping mechanism,
particularly among White females and sexual minorities (McGinley et al. 2016).
Paludi et al. (2006) identified other research that noted the consequences of
non-contact SH including changes in physical and mental health. Additionally,
victims of non-contact SH are more likely to experience future SH (Petersen
and Hyde 2009).<sup id="fnref:31"><a href="#fn:31" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">31</a></sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p><a id="topicref-5"></a></p>
<h3 id="support-for-the-possession-of-child-sexual-abuse-material">
	Support for the possession of child sexual abuse material
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#support-for-the-possession-of-child-sexual-abuse-material"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>We have catalogued 55 primary sources in which Stallman advocates for the
possession and/or distribution of child sexual abuse material (aka “child
pornography”) between 2003 and 2019, none of which are addressed by <a href="/on-children#2019-retraction">Stallman’s
2019 retraction</a> on sexual relationships between
adults and minors under the age of 12 or 13.</p>
<p><a href="/on-child-pornography">Appendix: Stallman on child sexual abuse material</a></p>
<p>The following quote from Stallman in June 2017 is a typical example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In the US, people convicted for having copies of child pornography tend to get
longer prison sentences than those convicted of having sex with children.</p>
<p>Mere possession of child pornography should not be a crime at all. To
prosecute people for possessing something published, no matter what it may be,
is a big threat to human rights.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://www.stallman.org/archives/2017-mar-jun.html#5_June_2017_(Possession_of_child_porn)">stallman.org, 5 June 2017 “Possession of child porn”</a></p>
<p>Stallman’s discourse on child sexual abuse material (CSAM) rely on several
recurring key points:</p>
<ol>
<li>A blanket objection to censorship in any form</li>
<li>Objections to legal norms regarding CSAM on the basis that CSAM depicting
minors over the age of 12-13 do not depict an objectionable act, as adults
having sex with minors in this age range is not a form of abuse (<a href="#minor-adult-sex-rebuttal">rebuttal</a>)</li>
<li>The assertion that minors distributing explicit images with similar-aged
peers should not be prosecuted, often paired with a defense of adults who
distribute images produced in this manner</li>
</ol>
<p>We will first address Stallman’s political positions on CSAM which the editors
do not find unreasonable. First, Stallman often expresses concern that law
enforcement tools and technologies developed to curtail the production and
distribution of CSAM will be applied more generally and infringe on legitimate
freedoms; the editors find this concern reasonable but disagree with Stallman’s
conclusion that CSAM possession and/or distribution should be legalized on this
premise.</p>
<p>Stallman also defends the practice of “sexting”, or exchange of sexually
explicit material, between consenting minors of similar age; the editors find
this argumentation reasonable. However, we object to Stallman’s use of this
argument as the basis for a more general argument in favor of the legalization
of CSAM possession and distribution.</p>
<p>Stallman has also defended “sexting” cases which involve the sexual exploitation
of a minor by an adult. In 2016, Stallman writes the following in response to
the case of a 21 year-old man soliciting a 16 year-old girl for explicit images:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A Pennsylvania man has been imprisoned for receiving nude photos from his
16-year-old girlfriend, and will have to register as a sex offender, but
“only” for 15 years.</p>
<p>The willfully blind law pretends there is no difference between a teenager and
a child.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://www.stallman.org/archives/2016-jul-oct.html#30_August_2016_(Man_imprisoned_for_receiving_nude_photos)">stallman.org, 30 August 2016 “Man imprisoned for receiving nude photos”</a></p>
<p>We now present a general rebuttal of Stallman’s position on CSAM. Our report
indicates four groups of people who experience material harm as a consequence
of CSAM distribution:</p>
<ul>
<li>Victims of child sexual abuse</li>
<li>Consumers of child sexual assault material</li>
<li>Criminal investigators exposed to CSAM in their work</li>
<li>Online content moderators tasked with CSAM removal</li>
</ul>
<p>The possession and distribution of CSAM exacerbates the harm done to victims of
sexual abuse. Experts on sexual violence assert that the distribution of CSAM
causes children to be victimized twice: first by the perpetrator of their abuse,
and again by the person who view it.<sup id="fnref:32"><a href="#fn:32" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">32</a></sup> Jennifer Martin explains how
CSAM impacts survivors of abuse:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>This persistent shame means that traumatic stress symptoms may continue
indefinitely in cases of [child sexual abuse material]. Children’s ongoing
efforts to make meaning of their abuse experience may be ineffective, and they
may continually fear what parents, caregivers, and others may think if they
discover, or are shown, images of the abuse (Palmer, 2006). Victims may be
further subjected to shame by the knowledge that images of the abuse are
stored in law enforcement databases and may be accessed and shared
indefinitely among and between legal agencies globally (Muir, 2005). They are
powerless over the distribution or accessibility of the images of abuse, and
must contend with the fact that they may be gazed upon by anyone at any time
because their abuse images are “out there” in the public arena of cyberspace
and can be forever shared and downloaded. The child may internalize the shame
and humiliation of the “global gaze” thereby adding to the child’s traumatic
burden. The never-ending threat of this gaze can influence – have power over -
how the child thinks, feels, and behaves. Ainley(1998) referred to the
“constant torture of the random but ever possible gaze”.<sup id="fnref:33"><a href="#fn:33" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">33</a></sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Consumers of CSAM also experience harm. According to Kothari et al,
consumers of CSAM are at a high risk of suicide and experience symptoms
associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and adjustment disorder.
Offenders experience extreme feelings of stress, shame, and self-hatred, which
impacts their ability to seek help (Kothari et al 2021).<sup id="fnref:34"><a href="#fn:34" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">34</a></sup></p>
<p>We also draw attention to the experiences of the online content moderators and
criminal investigators who are tasked with combating the distribution of CSAM.
Members of law enforcement who are exposed to CSAM in their work experience
experience an elevated risk of sexual post-traumatic stress symptoms (sexual
PTSS) (Gewirtz-Meydan et al, 2023).<sup id="fnref:35"><a href="#fn:35" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">35</a></sup> Online content
moderators are susceptible to similar risks, and often experience symptoms
associated with post-traumatic and secondary traumatic stress (Spence et al,
2021).<sup id="fnref:36"><a href="#fn:36" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">36</a></sup></p>
<p>This report also draws attention to a particularly disturbing source from
Richard Stallman’s website, entitled “Suggestion to the target of a witch hunt”,
dated February 2015.<sup id="fnref:37"><a href="#fn:37" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">37</a></sup> This article is listed on the front page of
Stallman’s website in a section on political articles outside of the scope of
Stallman’s free software political program. In this article, Stallman reveals
that someone had emailed him asking for advice because they were “drawn to look
at images of sex with children”. Stallman published his response as follows:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I don’t think it is wrong to distribute “child porn” images, even when they
[depict] children rather than adolescents. However, making them is wrong if it
involves real sex with a child. For the sake of opposing sexual abuse of real
children, I suggest that you boycott the images that involve real children.
Imaginary children can’t be hurt by drawing them.</p>
<p>I can’t suggest any way you could talk publicly about your prediliction
without being the object of a witch hunt. Americans go nuts where they imagine
that children are in danger, and in their frenzy they exaggerate tiny risks —
look at how they jail parents for letting children go to the park or stay home
without an escort.</p>
<p>To be sure, a child faces the danger of sexual abuse mainly while at home. But
not while home alone with no members or friends of the family present.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Stallman updated the page in 2016 with an additional note:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>2016 note: I support prosecution of those that perpetrate real abuse (sexual
or not) of real children. By “real” I mean specifically that I do not follow
states’ definitions of these terms. In fact, some states stretch the terms to
the point of absurd injustice. There is a tendency to define adolescents as
“children” and define all sex involving adolescents as “sexual abuse”.
Infantilizing adolescents is harmful to society in many ways.</p>
<p>Since this is an ethical question, not a legal one, the question of the right
definitions is for us to consider, not for states to dictate.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The editors were particularly alarmed by this page. The person who reached out
to Stallman for advice is subject to all of the harm faced by consumers of CSAM
as discussed earlier in our report, and faces the risk of arrest and criminal
prosecution if caught. Rather than providing this person with resources to seek
help, Stallman states that there is nothing wrong with his behavior and uses the
opportunity to publicly re-enforce his political program regarding CSAM and the
sexual abuse of minors.</p>
<p>The editors cite this as an example of direct harm caused by Stallman and as
evidence that Stallman’s remarks are taken seriously, that he is viewed as an
authority on sexual matters by some of those who read his work, and that he has
been consulted for his opinion on these matters by his readers.</p>
<p><a id="topicref-6"></a></p>
<h3 id="legal-and-social-normalization-of-sex-between-humans-and-animals">
	Legal and social normalization of sex between humans and animals
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#legal-and-social-normalization-of-sex-between-humans-and-animals"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>We have catalogued 12 primary sources from 2003-2018 in which Stallman advocates
for humans having sex with animals (bestiality) or the possession and
distribution of pornography featuring humans having sex with animals. None of
Stallman’s remarks on bestiality have been retracted.</p>
<p><a href="/on-bestiality">Appendix: Stallman on bestiality</a></p>
<p>Stallman remarked most recently on the subject of pornography featuring humans
and animals in 2018:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Prudish censorship attacks again in the UK, convicting someone for possessing
“extreme pornography”, including images of sex with animals.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine a possible reason to punish people for this. The article does
not report that the animals were harmed, or that they objected to the
experience, or that they thought of it as sexual. The law does not consider
these questions pertinent.</p>
<p>What is, however, clear is that prohibiting the possession of copies of some
image or text — no matter what that image or text may be — threatens human
rights. It creates excuses to search through people’s possessions and files.
It creates ways to make people vulnerable to criminal charges without their
cooperation or even their knowledge. All such laws must be repealed.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://www.stallman.org/archives/2018-sep-dec.html#14_December_2018_('Extreme_pornography'_conviction)">stallman.org, 14 December 2018 “‘Extreme pornography’ conviction”</a></p>
<p>The editors note that Stallman’s remarks here are consistent with <a href="#support-for-the-possession-of-child-sexual-abuse-material">his rhetoric
on child sexual abuse material</a>.
In addition to arguing for the legal normalization of this kind of pornographic
images, Stallman has explicitly supported the act depicted therein, for instance
in 2017:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>European countries are passing laws against having sex with an animal. (We are
talking about sex practices that don’t physically hurt the animal.)</p>
<p>These laws have no rational basis. We know that some animals enjoy sex with
humans. Others don’t. But really, if you smear something on your genitals that
tastes good to dogs, and have a dog lick you off, it harms no one. Why should
this be illegal except mindless religion?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2017-sep-dec.html#10_October_2017_(Laws_against_having_sex_with_an_animal)">stallman.org, 10 October 2017 “Laws against having sex with an animal”</a></p>
<p>Stallman explained his views in more detail in 2016:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A national campaign seeks to make all US states prohibit sex between humans
and nonhuman animals.</p>
<p>This campaign seems to be sheer bull-headed prudery, using the perverse
assumption that sex between a human and an animal hurts the animal. That’s
true for some ways of having sex, and false for others.</p>
<p>For instance, I’ve heard that some women get dogs to lick them off. That
doesn’t hurt the dog at all. Why should it be prohibited?</p>
<p>When male dolphins have sex with people, that doesn’t hurt the dolphins. Quite
the contrary, they like it very much. Why should it be prohibited?</p>
<p>I’ve also read that female gorillas sometimes express desire for sex with men.
If they both like it, who is harmed? Why should this be prohibited?</p>
<p>The proponents of this law claim that any kind of sex between humans and other
species implies that the human is a “predator” that we need to lock up. That’s
clearly false, for the cases listed above. Making a prohibition based on
prejudice, writing it in an overbroad way, is what prissy governments tend to
do where sex is concerned. The next step is to interpret it too strongly with
“zero tolerance”.</p>
<p>Will people convicted of having dogs lick them off be required to live at
least 1000 feet from any dogs?</p>
<p>This law should be changed to prohibit only acts in which the animal is
physically forced to have sex, or physically injured.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://www.stallman.org/archives/2016-sep-dec.html#14_December_2016_(Campaign_of_bull-headed_prudery)">stallman.org, 14 December 2016 “Campaign of bull-headed prudery”</a></p>
<p>It is straightforwardly understood that animals cannot express consent; they are
not capable of meaningfully communicating “yes” or “no” and they cannot explain
their subjective experiences or advocate for themselves following sexual abuse.
It is also understood that animal victims of sexual abuse experience symptoms
similar to human victims; animal victims of sexual abuse commonly display signs
of depression, anxiety, and aggression (Kunz 2019).<sup id="fnref:38"><a href="#fn:38" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">38</a></sup></p>
<p>The actors involved in pornographic films depicting bestiality are often coerced
and humiliated by the act. Linda Lovelace is a famous pornographic actress who
became widely known for her appearance in the 1972 film “Deep Throat”, later
stating that she was coerced and raped on screen in this film. In 1969, she
appeared in a film where she was coerced into performing sexual acts with a dog.
She was forced to perform these acts at gunpoint and later explained the lasting
effect of this experience:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I am able to handle almost everything that has happened to me in my life… but
I’m still not able to handle that day. A dog. An animal. I’ve been raped by
men who were no better than animals, but this was an actual animal and that
represented a huge dividing line. (…)</p>
<p>There were no greater humiliations left for me. The memory of that day and
that dog does not fade the way other memories do. The overwhelming sadness
that I felt on that day is with me at this moment, stronger than ever. It was
a bad day, such a bad day.<sup id="fnref:39"><a href="#fn:39" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">39</a></sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Stallman’s remarks on bestiality are consistent with his broader dismissal of
the importance of consent with respect to sexual interactions, be they animals,
minors, subordinates, women whose consent is contingent on the use of
contraception, or women who have previously consented to sex; in all of these
cases Stallman absolves the perpetrator of wrongdoing and argues that images of
these acts of sexual violence should not be subject to censorship.</p>
<p><a id="topicref-7"></a></p>
<h3 id="legal-and-social-normalization-of-necrophilia">
	Legal and social normalization of necrophilia
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#legal-and-social-normalization-of-necrophilia"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>We have catalogued 3 primary sources from 2003-2013 in which Stallman advocates
for humans having sex with corpses (necrophilia) or the possession and
distribution of pornography featuring humans having sex with corpses. We have
also identified several more contemporary sources where Stallman remarks on the
abuse of corpses generally in a non-sexual context, using the same argumentation
used to advocate for necrophilia, as recently as 2023. None of Stallman’s
remarks on the abuse of corpses, for sexual purposes or otherwise, have been
retracted.</p>
<p><a href="/on-necrophilia">Appendix: Stallman on necrophilia</a></p>
<p>For example, Stallman writes the following in April 2008 in a statement calling
for pornography featuring living individuals having sex with corpses to be
legalized:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It is true that victims of real violence suffer. (Never mind that in making
movies of violence, typically nobody is actually hurt.) The true oppressive
spirit of this law starts to show in the prohibition of images of sex with
corpses. Are we supposed to believe that corpses can suffer? Or are some cruel
prudes trying to impose their prejudices by force?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2008-mar-jun.html#30%20April%202008%20(Possession%20of%20extreme%20pornography)">30 April 2008 (Possession of “extreme pornography”)</a></p>
<p>The editors acknowledge that Stallman has not made any explicit statements in
support of necrophilia since 2010. However, Stallman has often used the same
line of argumentation in statements on the abuse of corpses more generally than
for the purpose of sexual gratification since 2010. For example, in December
2023:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Brittany Watts, of Ohio, had a miscarriage at home and disposed of the
nonviable fetus as people often do. Now she faces possible charges of “abuse
of a corpse”.</p>
<p>The very idea of sentencing someone to prison for “abuse of a corpse” is
absurd, since whatever is done to a corpse can’t injure any person.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2023-sep-dec.html#28_December_2023_(Brittany_Watts)">stallman.org, 28 December 2023 “Brittany Watts”</a></p>
<p>Legal and social norms regarding the treatment of corpses acknowledge the agency
of the deceased individual and their right to self-determination and bodily
autonomy following their death. Moreover, the editors point out that a corpse is
unable to express consent.</p>
<p>The treatment of a corpse is also a matter of respect for friends and family of
the deceased, who should be allowed to grieve in peace without the knowledge
that their loved one’s corpse is being exploited for sexual gratification. The
editors of this report cannot imagine a more traumatic grieving process than one
which contends with the knowledge that images of the desecration of your loved
one’s corpse are being distributed for the sexual gratification of others.</p>
<p>It is noted that the rape of corpses is a war crime which has been reported in
several conflicts and has been employed for the purpose of subjecting the
population to terror, humiliation, and trauma.<sup id="fnref:40"><a href="#fn:40" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">40</a></sup></p>
<p><a id="topicref-8"></a></p>
<h2 id="credible-allegations-of-sexual-misconduct">
	Credible allegations of sexual misconduct
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#credible-allegations-of-sexual-misconduct"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h2>
<p>There are numerous allegations of misconduct regarding Richard Stallman. Most of
these are hearsay recounts of individual experiences with Stallman. This report
only includes allegations which have been corroborated or are otherwise
considered verifiable.</p>
<h3 id="testimony-of-betsy-s">
	Testimony of Betsy S.
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#testimony-of-betsy-s"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>The testimony of “Betsy S.” recalls the following interaction with Richard
Stallman, which would have taken place in the early 1980’s.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>When I was a teen freshman, I went to a buffet lunch at an Indian restaurant
in Central Square with a graduate student friend and others from the AI lab. I
don’t know if he and I were the last two left, but at a table with only the
two of us, Richard Stallman told me of his misery and that he’d kill himself
if I didn’t go out with him.</p>
<p>I felt bad for him and also uncomfortable and manipulated. I did not like
being put in that position — suddenly responsible for an “important” man. What
had I done to get into this situation? I decided I could not be responsible
for his living or dying, and would have to accept him killing himself. I
declined further contact.</p>
<p>He was not a man of his word or he’d be long dead.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We consider the report verifiable on the basis that Stallman has corroborated
Betsy’s recollection of events in a July 2020 statement on the subject:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A note to Betsy S.</p>
<p>Betsy S met me at a lunch around 40 years ago. I am sure her recounting of her
recollections is sincere, but she must have misunderstood the last thing I
said to her. She said she didn’t want an acquaintance with me. That no, on top
of so many noes from others, impelled me to express despair; she seems to have
misconstrued that as a demand.</p>
<p>Betsy S, I regret that this misunderstanding caused you distress. I never
intended to demand anything of you. I only ever wished you well.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://stallman.org/archives/2020-jul-oct.html#19_July_2020_(A_note_to_Betsy_S.)">stallman.org, 19 July 2020 “A note to Betsy S.”</a></p>
<p>Betsy’s testimony describes an experience of sexual coercion, wherein Stallman
threatens violence (to himself) if Betsy does not date him.</p>
<p>At the time of this incident, Betsy would have been a freshman at MIT, no older
than 19, and Stallman would have been approximately 27 years old, a graduate
student having been established at the AI lab for about nine years at this time.
Stallman exploited this power differential in an attempt to take advantage of
this young woman, coercing her into dating him.</p>
<p>Stallman’s 2020 response is lacking in several respects. The editors point out
that at the time this response was written, Stallman should have been equipped
with the requisite training to understand the gravity of this incident given his
September 2019 course on sexual harassment and sexual violence at MIT, which is
discussed in detail <a href="#ref-sexual-harassment-training">earlier in this report</a>.</p>
<p>We also draw attention to the phrasing of Stallman’s apology. Stallman blames
Betsy for misunderstanding his intent when he threatened suicide if Betsy did
not agree to date him. Stallman also excuses his behavior by shifting
responsibility to Betsy and to women collectively, citing both that Betsy did
not want an acquaintance with Stallman and that his actions were motivated by a
series of romantic rejections. Stallman does not demonstrate an understanding of
why his behavior was wrong, and does not take responsibility for his behavior;
instead he “apologises” for Betsy’s behavior (i.e. misunderstanding him).</p>
<h3 id="emacs-virgin-incidents">
	“Emacs virgin” incidents
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#emacs-virgin-incidents"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>Richard Stallman has often performed a satirical routine as “St. IGNUcius” of
the “Church of EMACS” at numerous events. The routine includes a ceremony
regarding the “EMACS virgin” (a person who has not used EMACS before) with
sexualized overtones. Prior to a 2009, Stallman emphasized in his routine that
the virgin must be female, after 2009 Stallman referred to the EMACS virgin as a
“person” who has not used EMACS.</p>
<p>We have several uncorroborated testimonies of women, including minors, being
overtly sexualized during this routine, some without consent. In the course of
our research we discovered that one of these routines was recorded, in which
Stallman brings a 13 year-old girl on stage and makes sexually suggestive
remarks about her in front of a crowd at FKFT 2008 in Barcelona.</p>
<p><video src="/emacs-virgin-routine.webm" controls="" width="320" height="240"></video></p>
<p>We highlight the following quote from the transcript of this event:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I saw her experiment once. She actually typed Ctrl+V to scroll the screen. But
I think that– at that point that’s like having kissed, so she’s still a
virgin for now. [Stallman approaches the girl and places a hand on her
shoulder.] But I hope to do something about that. And, by the way, that
reminds me that one of the other advantages of the Church of EMACS is that
being a saint in this church does not require celibacy.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Following a particularly controversial performance of this routine at the 2009
Gran Canaria Desktop Summit, Stallman made the following statement:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Some of the people in the audience in my speech in the Gran Canaria Desktop
Summit thought that my joke about the Virgin of Emacs was intended to make
some kind of statement about women.</p>
<p>I was surprised by that reaction, since I had told the same joke dozens of
times and this is the first report of interpreting it that way.  In any case,
it was a misunderstanding: the only intended meaning of the Cult of the Virgin
of Emacs is to parody another Cult of the Virgin. The whole St IGNUius routine
makes fun of me, the free software movement and religion, through parody.</p>
<p>To be abundantly clear, my views about women in connection with free software
are simply that they deserve freedom in using computers, just as men do.  Some
women already appreciate this freedom and have become free software activists.
We need more people, regardless of sex, to do this, so that someday all women,
and all men, will enjoy the freedom that free software offers.</p>
<p>Misunderstanding is not a good outcome.  To help avoid misunderstandings of
this kind in the future, since August I have changed the joke so that the
Virgin of Emacs can be of either sex.<sup id="fnref:41"><a href="#fn:41" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">41</a></sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Stallman has also <a href="https://stallman.org/articles/virgin-of-emacs.html">issued a statement on stallman.org</a>
about the routine.</p>
<h3 id="pleasure-cards">
	Pleasure cards
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#pleasure-cards"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>In lieu of a traditional business card, it has been reported that Richard
Stallman employs a “pleasure card”, which solicits “tender embraces” from the
recipient.</p>
<p><img src="/old-card.png" alt="A picture of Richard Stallman’s original “pleasure card” with sensitive details retracted. The headline reads “Sharing good books, good food and exotic music and dance; tender embraces; unusual sense of humor”"></p>
<p>It has been suggested that Stallman gives these cards to people regardless of
gender, but that when Stallman hands this card to women he often does so to
supplement a romantic or sexual proposition. The editors reached out to a woman
who received a “pleasure card” from Stallman for an interview, who we will refer
to as Ms. W. The editors have independently corroborated Ms. W’s testimony.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I was at one of my first events as a speaker, at the speaker’s dinner.
Stallman was there and he approached me to chat. He spent a few minutes
talking about himself, showing no interest in me or what I was working on. He
didn’t ask about my work, or my situation, he just wanted to… pick me up.
I got the impression that he just assumed that he was entitled to my attention
based on his fame and reputation.</p>
<p>He hit on me for a few minutes and handed me his “pleasure card”, then told me
he would be around later that evening – I just thought, “yeah, and I’ll be
hanging out with my spouse and kid”. He moved to touch my arm, and I backed
off and avoided him for the rest of the event.</p>
<p>It didn’t even feel like he was particularly attracted to me – it felt like I
was just a woman under 40 and that was enough.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The editors note that the event in question had an anti-harassment policy. Ms. W
elaborated on her thoughts after the fact:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I mean, I’m middle aged, I brought my kid – this wasn’t my first rodeo. And
it just felt so inappropriate in a professional context. If I had met Stallman
in another context and we weren’t “coworkers”, in a way, it would have been…
unwanted, but not inappropriate. There’s a difference between, like, some of
us clicked and went out for drinks and it was flirty, and this taking place at
the speaker’s dinner. And what made it so inappropriate was the power
differential, of handing this to a relatively unknown woman when you’re
Richard Stallman and you’re giving the keynote.</p>
<p>I’ve been hit on at events before – but it often felt like a peer-to-peer
sort of thing, whereas the proposition from Stallman was more… “do you want
to be an acolyte?” There was some kind of power dynamic at play. He was 20, 25
years older than me – it was like your dad was hitting on you. It didn’t feel
like he was my peer, and we hadn’t talked enough to register if I was actually
interested in him at all.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Ms. W notes that she attended a second event with Richard Stallman a year later,
where she indicates that Stallman participated in writing the code of conduct,
then violated that code of conduct when performing his <a href="#emacs-virgin-incidents">“St. Ignutius”
routine</a>, as well as at other occasions. Ms. W reported
her concerns to the event organizers, her testimony corroborated by Matthew
Garrett (member of the FSF board of directors at the time), and was met with
disbelief. Ms. W explains that the organizers were aware of Stallman’s
reputation at the time, and they stated “He’s one of those neckbeardy guys, but
we think he’ll behave himself. We talked about it.”</p>
<p>The editors have found a photograph which is alleged to be Stallman’s new
business card circa 2023, with the reference to “tender embraces” removed:</p>
<p><img src="/new-card.png" alt="A picture of Richard Stallman’s current business card with sensitive details retracted. The headline now reads “sharing good books, good food, and far-away music &amp; dance; thoughtful and emotional conversation; unusual sense of humor”"></p>
<h3 id="testimonies-of-former-fsf-staff">
	Testimonies of former FSF staff
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#testimonies-of-former-fsf-staff"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>Georgia Young was the Program Manager for the FSF between 2015 and 2018 and
testified to Stallman’s conduct and character on Twitter in March 2021.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I worked at the FSF from 2015-2018 &amp; was shop steward for a while. I recall
having a months-long conversation with [Executive Director] John Sullivan
about why racist &amp; sexist ‘hacker humor’ from the 90s needed to be removed
from gnu.org. RMS didn’t get why it was harmful.</p>
<p>The abortion joke<sup id="fnref:42"><a href="#fn:42" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">42</a></sup> (‘contributed’ by RMS) in a technical
manual? He threw a fit when it was removed. (…)</p>
<p>The thing that (people) who have never had to actually work with RMS don’t
understand is that MANY people who deeply respected him tried to help him
learn to not objectify women, shout over others at Libreplanet as if it was
his birthday party, (and) stop shit like ’emacs virgins’.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://x.com/georgialyle/status/1374504389155508232">@georgialyle on Twitter, 24 March 2021</a></p>
<p>Paul Fisher worked for 3 years on the staff of the Free Software Foundation and
worked as a volunteer for 6 years, ceasing his involvement in 2004. Paul
testified to his experiences on Twitter in March 2021:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I worked at the FSF for 3 years and volunteered for over 6 years — that ended
in 2004. I witnessed misogyny, sexual objectification, and abuse carried out
by RMS. I banded together with my coworkers, formed a union, negotiated a
contract, and was elected shop steward.</p>
<p>While RMS started the free software movement and the GNU GPL was a
groundbreaking document, the community still has a right to hold him to
account for his abhorrent actions and harmful speech. RMS should not be part
of the FSF.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://x.com/paulnivin/status/1374499598853545986">@paulnivin on Twitter, 24 March 2021</a></p>
<p>Paul also explained a few days later that the formation of the FSF staff union
was motivated by Stallman’s poor conduct.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>RMS created non-safe spaces at both MIT &amp; the FSF. When I was at the FSF, RMS
had little to no empathy for the staff. The FSF was not a healthy, functional
workplace. We formed a union to help protect ourselves from RMS — he
controlled our pay, benefits, and workplace conditions.</p>
<p>Everything was controlled by RMS — not the executive director, and not the
board. The union helped turn FSF employment into what most people think of as
a “normal” office job. It didn’t fix everything. Some of the issues that we
did fix:</p>
<p>RMS did not believe in providing raises — prior cost of living adjustments
were a battle and not annual. RMS believed that if a precedent was created for
increasing wages, the logical conclusion would be that employees would be paid
infinity dollars and the FSF would go bankrupt.</p>
<p>RMS did not believe in providing bereavement leave. What if all your close
friends and family die one after another? It’s conceivable you would be gone
from the office for days, or weeks, if not months. What if you lie about who
is dying?</p>
<p>RMS would often throw tantrums and threaten to fire employees for perceived
infractions. FSF staff had to show up to work each day, not knowing if RMS had
eliminated their position the night before.</p>
<p>Respectively, the union provided a formula for allocating a portion of any
budget surplus to COLAs and wage increases, bereavement leave, and progressive
discipline for workers, ensuring that union employees could not be fired at
RMS’ whim.</p>
<p>RMS has not apologized for the harm he’s caused. Both MIT &amp; the FSF
successfully separated themselves from RMS in 2019. Why did the secret group
of voting FSF members reelect him to the board? Why.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://x.com/paulnivin/status/1377079987950395393">@paulnivin on Twitter, 31 March 2021</a></p>
<p>The allegation that the FSF staff union was formed due to Stallman’s conduct is
corroborated by David Turner, founder of the FSF’s GPL Compliance Labs:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Funny confluence of RMS and tech union tweets today. We unionized FSF, in
large part, because RMS.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://x.com/NovalisDMT/status/1172573166956437505">@NovalisDMT on Twitter, 13 September 2019</a></p>
<p>Matthew Garret, member of the FSF board of directors between 2014 and 2017 and
winner of the FSF Award for the Advancement of Free Software wrote the
following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I know of at least one other case where Stallman has decided to protect an
abuser. (…)</p>
<p>Free software is an amazing thing, and [Richard Stallman] is a liability
towards it.</p>
<p>His refusal to take action and insistence on making excuses for an abuser is
why I quit the FSF board. The FSF’s former general counsel threatened a board
member at an FSF event. [Stallman] threatened to overrule staff if they
attempted to enforce the event code of conduct and refused to tell the
abuser’s employer.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>– <a href="https://x.com/mjg59/status/1172286576082214912">@mjg59 on Twitter, 13 September 2019</a></p>
<p><a id="topicref-9"></a></p>
<h2 id="misconduct-of-the-fsf-board-of-directors">
	Misconduct of the FSF board of directors
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#misconduct-of-the-fsf-board-of-directors"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h2>
<p>This report alleges misconduct on the part of the 2019 FSF board of directors,
and that the present-day board of directors is responsible both for enabling
Richard Stallman and for failing to provide a workplace free of sexual
harassment under federal and Massachusetts law.</p>
<p>The composition of the board in 2019, when the question of Stallman’s continued
role in the FSF was under discussion, was as follows:<sup id="fnref:43"><a href="#fn:43" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">43</a></sup></p>
<ul>
<li>Alexandre Oliva</li>
<li>Benjamin Mako Hill</li>
<li>Bradley Kuhn</li>
<li>Geoffrey Knauth</li>
<li>Gerald Jay Sussman</li>
<li>Henry Poole</li>
<li>Kat Walsh</li>
<li>Richard Stallman</li>
</ul>
<p>This report has reason to believe that Bradley Kuhn, Kat Walsh, and Benjamin
Mako Hill were not party to the misconduct of the 2019 board of directors. Mr.
Kuhn’s public statements following his ejection from the board of directors have
been a valuable source in the preparation of this report. Ms. Walsh voted
against Stallman’s return to office and resigned from her position on the Board
of Directors a few days following Stallman’s return.<sup id="fnref:44"><a href="#fn:44" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">44</a></sup> Mr. Hill also
publicly spoke against Stallman’s re-instatement and quit his positions at the
FSF.<sup id="fnref:45"><a href="#fn:45" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">45</a></sup></p>
<p>Present-day members of the FSF Board of Directors are as
follows:<sup id="fnref:46"><a href="#fn:46" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">46</a></sup></p>
<ul>
<li>Christina Haralanova</li>
<li>Geoffrey Knauth</li>
<li>Gerald Jay Sussman</li>
<li>Henry Poole</li>
<li>Ian Kelling</li>
<li>John Gilmore</li>
<li>Maria Chiara Pievatolo</li>
<li>Richard M. Stallman</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="lack-of-transparency-in-governance">
	Lack of transparency in governance
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#lack-of-transparency-in-governance"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>The Free Software Foundation, like most non-profits, maintains a Board of
Directors which is responsible for directing its activities. The members of the
Board of Directors are disclosed in the FSF’s annual filings<sup id="fnref:47"><a href="#fn:47" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">47</a></sup> and are
clearly enumerated on the FSF’s website.<sup id="fnref1:46"><a href="#fn:46" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">46</a></sup></p>
<p>The governance of the FSF is also subject to a group of “Voting
Members”.<sup id="fnref:48"><a href="#fn:48" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">48</a></sup> At the time of writing, this group is composed of the
following members:</p>
<ul>
<li>Alexandre Oliva</li>
<li>Christina Haralanoa</li>
<li>Geoffrey Knauth</li>
<li>Gerald Jay Sussman</li>
<li>Henry Poole</li>
<li>Ian Kelling</li>
<li>John Gilmore</li>
<li>Maria Chiara Pievatolo</li>
<li>Odile Bénassy</li>
<li>Richard M. Stallman</li>
</ul>
<p>Information about the Voting Members on the FSF’s website and has only been
available since 2021, following Richard Stallman’s return to the Board of
Directors. According to the FSF, the primary function of the Voting Members is
electing the Board of Directors.</p>
<p>According to public statements from the FSF, Richard Stallman resigned from all
positions of governance on September 17th, 2019.<sup id="fnref:49"><a href="#fn:49" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">49</a></sup> From this point
until Stallman’s return to the Board of Directors on April 12th, 2021, all
public statements from the FSF supported the conclusion that Stallman was no
longer involved in the governance of the Free Software Foundation.</p>
<p>However, the testimony of Bradley Kuhn alleges that Stallman never resigned as a
Voting Member, and remained a Voting Member throughout the period of his
resignation.<sup id="fnref:50"><a href="#fn:50" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">50</a></sup></p>
<p>This report alleges that the FSF has maintained, particularly between the events
of 2019 and 2021, a “shadow government” which is subject to a lack of
transparency in their role and operations, and alleges misconduct in misleading
the public on the nature of Stallman’s role in the FSF between 2019 and 2021.</p>
<h3 id="knowledge-of-stallmans-misconduct">
	Knowledge of Stallman’s misconduct
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#knowledge-of-stallmans-misconduct"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>Bradley Kuhn was the Executive Director of the Free Software Foundation between
2001 and 2005, and served on the board of directors from March 2010 to October
2019.<sup id="fnref:51"><a href="#fn:51" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">51</a></sup> Following <a href="#ejection-of-bradley-kuhn">Mr. Kuhn’s expulsion</a>,
he issued a public statement on the 2019 controversy<sup id="fnref1:50"><a href="#fn:50" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">50</a></sup> where he
asserts that Stallman’s behavior was well-known to the FSF for at least two
years prior to the public outcry; other sources suggest it was known for longer:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>For the last two years, I had been a loud internal voice in the FSF leadership
regarding RMS’ Free-Software-unrelated public statements; I felt strongly that
it was in the best interest of the FSF to actively seek to limit such
statements, and that it was my duty to FSF to speak out about this within the
organization. (…)</p>
<p>I attempted to argue with him at length to convince him that some of his
positions were harmful to sexual assault survivors and those who are
sex-trafficked, and to the people who devote their lives in service to such
individuals. More importantly to the FSF, I attempted to persuade RMS that
launching a controversial campaign on sexual behavior and morality was counter
to his and FSF’s mission to advance software freedom, and told RMS that my
duty as an FSF Director was to assure the best outcome for the FSF, which
<abbr title="in my opinion">IMO</abbr> didn’t include having a leader who made
such statements.</p>
</blockquote>
<h3 id="ejection-of-bradley-kuhn">
	Ejection of Bradley Kuhn
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#ejection-of-bradley-kuhn"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>In October 2019, Bradley Kuhn was removed from the Free Software Foundation
Board of Directors and Voting Members. Mr. Kuhn’s public remarks on the matter
provide insight into the misconduct of the board during the scandal of
2019.<sup id="fnref2:50"><a href="#fn:50" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">50</a></sup> Quoting Mr. Kuhn:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I was narrowly (by exactly one vote) voted out (of all my FSF roles) by FSF’s
Voting Members.</p>
<p>I was voted out for various reasons. The most relevant reason was a
fundamental disagreement about the criteria and requirements for RMS’ return
to the FSF Board of Directors. In particular, during September-October 2019, I
was insisting that one qualification for reinstatement was a complete,
unqualified apology for RMS’ September 2019 statements that (a) “she [Virginia
Giuffre] presented herself to him [Marvin Minksy][sic] as entirely willing”,
and (b) Giuffre (who was sex-trafficed by Jeffrey Epstein) committed “an
injustice” by accusing Minksy[sic] of sexual assault in her deposition.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The FSF’s “Voting Members” are responsible for electing the FSF Board of
Directors. Mr. Kuhn reports that Richard Stallman was a Voting Member at this
time.</p>
<p>We conclude from this testimony that Mr. Kuhn was ejected from the Free Software
Foundation governance for the apparent purpose of facilitating Richard
Stallman’s eventual return to the Board of Directors, in particular that his
return not be contingent on apologizing for his behavior, disenfranchising Mr.
Kuhn of his legitimate vote on the matter of the membership of the Board of
Directors, and demonstrates that the FSF was preparing for Stallman’s
re-instatement even as they were facilitating his resignation.</p>
<h3 id="failure-to-account-for-sexual-harassment">
	Failure to account for sexual harassment
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#failure-to-account-for-sexual-harassment"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>We assert that the Free Software Foundation’s consistent protection for Richard
Stallman despite prior knowledge of allegations of his misconduct signals
incompetence with respect to their legal obligation to maintain a workplace free
of sexual harassment. Allegations of misconduct while Stallman was conducting
official FSF business are enumerated above, but did not appear to instigate an
investigation by FSF leadership. We contend that an appropriate response to the
allegations would have been to perform an investigation similar to one
undertaken by the editors of this report, which would have presented a clear
case for Stallman’s removal.</p>
<p>We also argue that the FSF has created a “hostile work environment” under US
and Massachusetts law. In one respect, we hold that retaining in leadership an
individual who does not understand sexual harassment or sexual assault and
continuously makes public statements to this effect constitutes a hostile work
environment. We also argue that the 2019 expulsion of Bradley Kuhn constitutes
illegal retaliation under Title VII of the United States Civil Rights Act of
1964.</p>
<p>Moreover, regardless of the conclusion of proceedings following the 2019 scandal
involving Richard Stallman, we feel that the FSF leadership failed to implement
prudent steps to address sexual harassment in its workplace at a moment when it
would have been obvious to do so.</p>
<p>It is unknown to the authors of this report if the FSF is in full compliance
with Massachusetts law regarding sexual harassment, in particular if they have
prepared a policy regarding sexual harassment, have established processes for
reporting sexual harassment, or annually provide materials to this effect to all
employees. However, we note that Massachusetts provides optional recommendations
that the FSF does not appear to have implemented in the aftermath of the 2019
scandal:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Employers and labor organizations are encouraged to conduct an education and
training program for new employees and members, within one year of
commencement of employment or membership, which includes at a minimum the
information set forth in this section. Employers are encouraged to conduct
additional training for new supervisory and managerial employees and members
within one year of commencement of employment or membership, which shall
include at a minimum the information set forth in subsection (b), the specific
responsibilities of supervisory and managerial employees and the methods that
such employees should take to ensure immediate and appropriate corrective
action in addressing sexual harassment complaints. Employers, labor
organizations and appropriate state agencies are encouraged to cooperate in
making such training available.<sup id="fnref:52"><a href="#fn:52" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">52</a></sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p>We note that Richard Stallman recieved mandatory sexual harassment training at
MIT in September 2018, which we discuss <a href="#ref-sexual-harassment-training">earlier in the
report</a>. Everfi, the company responsible for
the training program Stallman recieved, provides course materials which are
compliant with California AB 1825 requirements on mandatory
training.<sup id="fnref:53"><a href="#fn:53" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">53</a></sup> These requirements include that training
materials cover, among other things, identifying retalitory behavior under
federal law and an employer’s obligation to complete an investigation upon
receiving a report of sexual harassment. It is reasonable to assume that
Stallman is familiar with these legal norms.</p>
<p>Gerald Sussman, also on the FSF Board of Directors during the 2019 scandal, was
also a member of the MIT faculty during its 2018 mandatory training program and
presumably received similar training.</p>
<h3 id="2020-form-990-irs-filing">
	2020 Form 990 IRS filing
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#2020-form-990-irs-filing"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>This report also draws attention to the Free Software Foundation’s 2020 Form 990
tax filing.<sup id="fnref:54"><a href="#fn:54" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">54</a></sup></p>
<p>Richard Stallman has been reported on the FSF’s Form 990 filings as an officer
of the organization in every year except for 2020, following Stallman’s
ostensible removal from the governance of the FSF. However, if Bradley Kuhn’s
allegations that Stallman’s was as a Voting Member in this year are true, the
absence of Stallman in this filing may be fraudulent.</p>
<p>The IRS instructions for Form 990 in 2020 provide the following instructions for
supplying the list of Directors and other notable members of the organization:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A “director or trustee” is a member of the organization’s governing body, but
only if the member has voting rights.<sup id="fnref:55"><a href="#fn:55" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">55</a></sup></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The report also notes that several present-day FSF Voting Members are not
included on the Free Software Foundation’s Form 990 filing in 2022.</p>
<h3 id="regarding-the-fsf-codes-of-ethics">
	Regarding the FSF codes of ethics
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#regarding-the-fsf-codes-of-ethics"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>The report notes that the FSF has published two codes of ethics, respectively
applying to the Board of Directors<sup id="fnref:56"><a href="#fn:56" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">56</a></sup> and its Voting
Members,<sup id="fnref:57"><a href="#fn:57" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">57</a></sup> and respectively appearing in December 2021 and
July 2022. As such, neither were in force at the time the above reported
misconduct took place.</p>
<p>However, this report takes this opportunity to offer a retrospective analysis of
FSF board members’ and voting members’ 2019 conduct with respect to these codes
of ethics, as well as a contemporary analysis of their conduct.</p>
<p>On the subject of erroneous IRS filings, we find that treasurer Geoffrey Knauth
actions have contravened the following provision:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Members of the board of directors will conduct the business affairs of the
organization in good faith and with honesty, integrity, due diligence, and
reasonable competence.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If the failure to report the Voting Members on the FSF’s Form 990, previously
and to the present day, is part of a larger program of deliberately obscuring
the governance of the Free Software Foundation, we assert this contravenes the
principles of good faith, honesty, and integrity; if the filings are simply a
mistake and there is no broader objective to obscure the governance of the FSF,
we assert that this contravenes the principles of due diligence and reasonable
competence. To assist the reader in choosing a suitable interpretation, we
acknowledge that Bradley Kuhn’s statement reports that demands for transparency
were among the likely reasons he was expelled from his role.<sup id="fnref3:50"><a href="#fn:50" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">50</a></sup></p>
<p>On the subject of Mr. Kuhn’s expulsion from the FSF governing bodies, we
consider the following principle of the Voting Member’s code of ethics:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A Voting Member must act in good faith in accord with the regulations of the
Free Software Foundation, including its articles of incorporation and its
bylaws.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We assert that the removal of Mr. Kuhn for the purpose of installing an
electorate that would re-instate Richard Stallman on favorable terms is not
acting in good faith and hold the quorum accountable to this.</p>
<p>It is noted by Mr. Kuhn that Richard Stallman was among the Voting Members that
voted for Mr. Kuhn’s expulsion. We find that this contravenes the following
provision of the code of ethics for board members:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Board members shall all avoid placing–and the appearance of placing–one’s
own self interest or any third-party interest, including the interests of
associate members, above that of the organization as a whole.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We argue that the continued support of the Free Software Foundation Board of
Directors for Richard Stallman’s platform places the interests of Richard
Stallman above that of the organization as a whole, in particular with respect
to the formal policy of non-cooperation many institutions in the free software
community have adopted with respect to the FSF so long as Stallman remains on
the board.</p>
<p>We also note that Richard Stallman’s prolonged political program in defense of
sexual violence contravenes the following provision:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Members of the FSF’s board of directors acknowledge that their statements and
actions have greater potential to reflect broadly on the organization because
of their leadership position and will take seriously their position of public
visibility and trust.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This report notes that the FSF defines no particular recourse for violations of
its codes of ethics.</p>
<p><a id="topicref-10"></a></p>
<h2 id="response-of-the-free-software-community">
	Response of the free software community
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#response-of-the-free-software-community"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h2>
<p>Following the 2021 re-instatement of Richard Stallman to his position on the
Free Software Foundation board of directors, numerous individuals and
institutions in the free software community spoke out in protest. Our report
focuses on institutions, on the basis that institutional policies of
non-cooperation with the FSF over the role of Richard Stallman is a significant
obstacle to the objectives of Free Software Foundation.</p>
<p>In 2021, 61 institutions and 3,003 individuals signed an open letter calling for
Stallman to be removed from all leadership positions, and calling for the board
of directors of the Free Software Foundation to resign.<sup id="fnref:58"><a href="#fn:58" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">58</a></sup> An
additional 33 GNU project maintainers and developers collectively called for
Stallman’s removal in 2019.<sup id="fnref:59"><a href="#fn:59" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">59</a></sup></p>
<p>This report highlights the following institutions that have explicitly withdrawn
financial support and/or adopted a policy of non-cooperation with the Free
Software Foundation over concerns regarding Richard Stallman:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://codema.in/d/Xdi7EPS9/statement-on-richard-stallman-rejoining-the-fsf-board">Free Software Community of India</a></li>
<li><a href="https://fsfe.org/news/2021/news-20210324-01.html">Free Software Foundation Europe</a></li>
<li><a href="https://x.com/bad_packets/status/1374081329340456962">Okta Bad Packets</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.outreachy.org/blog/2021-03-23/fsf-participation-barred/">Outreachy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/red-hat-statement-about-richard-stallmans-return-free-software-foundation-board">Red Hat</a></li>
<li><a href="https://fedoramagazine.org/fedora-council-statement-on-richard-stallman-rejoining-fsf-board/">The Fedora Project</a></li>
<li><a href="https://opensource.org/blog/OSI_Response">The Open Source Initiative</a></li>
<li><a href="https://x.com/torproject/status/1374754834050654212">Tor Foundation</a></li>
<li><a href="https://news.opensuse.org/2021/04/12/a-message-from-the-opensuse-board/">openSUSE</a></li>
</ul>
<p><a id="topicref-11"></a></p>
<h2 id="recommendations-for-reconciliation-and-closure">
	Recommendations for reconciliation and closure
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#recommendations-for-reconciliation-and-closure"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h2>
<p>This report provides the following recommendations to parties involved for
seeking reconciliation and closure for the problems enumerated herein.</p>
<h3 id="recommendations-to-richard-stallman">
	Recommendations to Richard Stallman
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#recommendations-to-richard-stallman"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>To Mr. Stallman, we offer the following advice:</p>
<ol>
<li>We urge you to issue a detailed retraction of the positions enumerated in
this publication and cease all future statements of this nature, and to
demonstrate your renewed understanding of the subject matter.</li>
<li>We urge you to meaningfully apologize for the material harm you’ve done in
the course of your political work to defend sexual violence and undermine the
experiences of victims of sexual violence.</li>
<li>We urge you to remove all political notes and articles cited by this report
from your website, or update them with a link to your retraction.</li>
<li>We ask you to step down from all positions at the FSF and the GNU project and
entrust it to a new generation of leaders.</li>
</ol>
<p>We are of the unfortunate opinion that the scope and extent of your misconduct
disqualifies you from formal positions of power within our community
indefinitely. Your influence on the free software community is profound and
immeasurable, as is the harm you have done to victims of sexual violence. If you
wish to cement the positive parts of your legacy, you must contend with the
consequences of your violent political program.</p>
<h3 id="recommendations-to-the-fsf-leadership">
	Recommendations to the FSF leadership
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#recommendations-to-the-fsf-leadership"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>We offer the following recommendations to the FSF Board of Directors and Voting
Members.</p>
<ol>
<li>
<p>To Voting Members, if Richard Stallman fails to step down of his own accord,
we urge you to convene a meeting of voting members at the earliest possible
occasion in accordance with section 7 of the FSF by-laws for the purpose of
removing Richard Stallman from both the Voting Members and the Board of
Directors.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>If Richard Stallman fails to retract his political statements on sexual
violence, we encourage you to release a statement denouncing them.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>To all members of the present-day Voting Members and Board of Directors who
were contemporaneous with the 2019 scandal and the associated patterns of
misconduct, we urge you to step down from your posts and allow new leaders to
fill your roles. Namely:</p>
<ul>
<li>Alexandre Oliva</li>
<li>Geoffrey Knauth</li>
<li>Gerald Sussman</li>
<li>Henry Poole</li>
</ul>
<p>In particular we call upon Mr. Knauth to uphold his 2021 pledge to resign “as
soon as there is a clear path for new leadership assuring continuity of the
FSF’s mission and compliance with fiduciary
requirements”.<sup id="fnref:60"><a href="#fn:60" class="footnote-ref" role="doc-noteref">60</a></sup></p>
</li>
<li>
<p>The leadership is called upon to improve the FSF codes of ethics to prevent
future errors of this sort, including the institution of reasonable measures
of recourse in the event of violations of the codes of ethics.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>The leadership is called upon to implement a comprehensive program of sexual
harassment training within the Free Software Foundation, as well as policies
and procedures for handling allegations of sexual harassment.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>All parties complicit in the platforming of Richard Stallman are encouraged
to consider publishing a written apology for their conduct.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>We strongly urge you to take these actions in the best interests of the free
software community and the future of the Free Software Foundation.</p>
<h3 id="recommendations-to-the-gnu-project">
	Recommendations to the GNU project
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#recommendations-to-the-gnu-project"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>To the leadership of the GNU project, we recommend the following steps:</p>
<ol>
<li>The removal of Stallman as the “chief GNUisance” of the GNU project if he
fails to step down of his own accord.</li>
<li>Replacing the transphobic <a href="https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/kind-communication.en.html">GNU Kind Communication Guidelines</a>
authored by Stallman with a Code of Conduct which better addresses the needs
and safety of the community.</li>
</ol>
<h3 id="recommendations-to-the-free-software-community">
	Recommendations to the free software community
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#recommendations-to-the-free-software-community"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h3>
<p>If the leadership of the Free Software Foundation fails to account for these
problems, we call upon the community to boycott the FSF. Consider cancelling
your membership fees. We also encourage members of the community to voice their
support for these calls to action, disseminate our report as broadly as
possible, and raise our voices in condemnation of sexual violence and those who
protect perpetrators of it.</p>
<h2 id="acknowledgements">
	Acknowledgements
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#acknowledgements"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h2>
<p>This report was prepared in collaboration with a number of researchers,
advisors, and victims of sexual violence. The editors acknowledge that the
process of researching the material for this report or testifying to experiences
of sexual violence and harassment was traumatic for those involved, and we thank
them for their bravery and cooperation.</p>
<h2 id="contact-us">
	Contact us
	
	<a class="hlink" href="#contact-us"><img src="/link.svg" alt="" style="width: 1rem;"></a>
</h2>
<p>The editors of this report may be reached by email to
<a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.</p>
<p>Our PGP public key is:</p>
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</code></pre><div class="footnotes" role="doc-endnotes">
<hr>
<ol>
<li id="fn:1">
<p>“Richard Stallman has cancer. Fortunately it is slow-growing and manageable follicular lymphoma. Treatment put it into remission, and he can expect to live many more years.” via <a href="https://www.stallman.org">https://www.stallman.org</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:2">
<p>Zlotnick, Frances 2017, ‘<a href="https://opensourcesurvey.org/2017/">GitHub Open Source Survey 2017</a>’, GitHub, Inc.&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:3">
<p>US Department of Labor 2023, ‘<a href="https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm">Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey</a>’&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:4">
<p><a href="https://www.stallman.org/archives/2024-jul-oct.html">stallman.org - Political notes</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:5">
<p>There is one exception in our section on
sexual harassment, where we cite an archived quote to demonstrate Stallman’s
change of opinion on the subject over time.&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:6">
<p>Stallman uses “per” as a genderless third-person pronoun. <a href="https://stallman.org/articles/genderless-pronouns.html">stallman.org, “Better Genderless Pronouns in English”</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:7">
<p><a href="https://www.stallman.org/glossary.html">stallman.org, Glossary</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:8">
<p><a href="https://www.stallman.org/antiglossary.html">stallman.org, Anti-glossary</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref1:8" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref2:8" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:9">
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1353%2Fdem.2007.0031">https://doi.org/10.1353%2Fdem.2007.0031</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref1:9" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:10">
<p>Planned Parenthood (2004), ‘Pregnancy and Childbearing Among U.S. Teens’&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:11">
<p>Darroch, Jacqueline E., et al. (1999). ‘Age Differences Between Sexual Partners in the United States.’ Family Planning Perspectives, 31(4), 160–7&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref1:11" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:12">
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1363/4001708">https://doi.org/10.1363/4001708</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:13">
<p>Tjaden, Thoennes (2000), ‘Full Report of the Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women’&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:14">
<p>Fleming, Mullen, Sibthorpe, Bammer (1999) ‘The long-term impact of childhood sexual abuse in Australian women’, Child Abuse &amp; Neglect, 23(2), pp. 145-159&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref1:14" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:15">
<p>Seto (2009), ‘Pedophilia’, Annu. Rev. Clin. Psychol. 2009. 5:391–407&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:16">
<p>American Psychiatric Association 2013, ‘Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders’, Fifth Edition&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:17">
<p>Tenbergen, Wittfoth, Frieling et al 2015, ‘The Neurobiology and Psychology of Pedophilia: Recent Advances and Challenges’, Front Hum Neurosci. 2015; 9: 344&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:18">
<p>Accounting for several sources where a single political note downplays or dismisses the experiences of many victims.&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:19">
<p>Mason, Lodrick (2013), ‘Psychological consequences of sexual assault’, <em>Best Practice &amp; Research Clinical Obstetrics &amp; Gynaecology</em>, 27:1, pp. 27-37 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2012.08.015">doi.org/10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2012.08.015</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref1:19" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:20">
<p>The editors note that Maraj’s victim was 11 years old at the time
of her rape, and as such this comment may be covered by Stallman’s 2019
retraction; it is indicated as such in the appendices. However, in this
comment Stallman represents Maraj’s victim as an “adolescent”, which in
<a href="/on-children/">Stallman’s idiolect</a> refers to minors above the age of 12 or
13, and it is from this basis that he presents his arguments.&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref1:20" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:21">
<p>National Center for Victims of Crime, 2012 archive, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120720051156/http://www.victimsofcrime.org/our-programs/dna-resource-center/sexual-assault-kit-backlog-reduction/about-sexual-assault#1">About Sexual Assault</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:21" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:22">
<p>Zahra Fatima 2024, ‘<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c97z2gq3jd3o">Luis Rubiales to stand trial over World Cup kiss</a>’, BBC&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:22" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:23">
<p>See <a href="/on-sexual-assault#ref-cody-wilson">stallman.org, 28 September 2018 “Cody Wilson”</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:23" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:24">
<p>RAINN, ‘<a href="https://rainn.org/TALK">How to Support a Loved One</a>’&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:24" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:25">
<p>RAINN, ‘<a href="https://rainn.org/articles/tips-talking-survivors-sexual-assault">Tips for Talking with Survivors of Sexual Assault</a>’&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:25" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:26">
<p>U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, ‘<a href="https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment">Sexual Harassment</a>’&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:26" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:27">
<p>MIT Committee on Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response, May 25, 2018 <a href="https://idhr.mit.edu/sites/default/files/documents/CSMPR%20Annual%20Report%202018.pdf">Annual Report</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:27" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref1:27" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:28">
<p>MIT Committee on Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response, May 26, 2016 <a href="https://idhr.mit.edu/sites/default/files/documents/CSMPR%20Annual%20Report%202016%20FINAL.pdf">Annual Report</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:28" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:29">
<p>MIT Committee on Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response, August 9, 2019 <a href="https://idhr.mit.edu/sites/default/files/documents/CSMPR%20Annual%20Report%202019.pdf">Annual Report</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:29" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:30">
<p>Johannson et al, 2024, ‘Sexual harassment, sexual violence and subsequent depression and anxiety symptoms among Swedish university students: a cohort study’, Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:30" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:31">
<p>Pinchevsky, G.M., Magnuson, A.B., Augustyn, M.B. et al. Sexual Victimization and Sexual Harassment among College Students: a Comparative Analysis. J Fam Viol 35, 603–618 (2020).&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:31" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:32">
<p>RAINN, 2022, <a href="https://rainn.org/news/what-child-sexual-abuse-material-csam">What is Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:32" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:33">
<p>Jennifer Martin (2015) Conceptualizing the Harms Done to Children Made the Subjects of Sexual Abuse Images Online, Child &amp; Youth Services, 36:4, 267-287&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:33" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:34">
<p>Radha Kothari, Rebecca Key, Jane Lawrenson, Tom Squire, Frank Farnham, Alan Underwood, Understanding Risk of Suicide among perpetrators who view child sexual abuse material (CSAM), Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Volume 81, 2021, 102188, ISSN 1752-928X&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:34" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:35">
<p>Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan, Kimberly J Mitchell, Jennifer E O’Brien, Sexual posttraumatic stress among investigators of child sexual abuse material, Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, Volume 17, 2023&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:35" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:36">
<p>Spence, R., Bifulco, A., Bradbury, P., Martellozzo, E., &amp; DeMarco, J. (2023). The psychological impacts of content moderation on content moderators: A qualitative study. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 17(4), Article 8&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:36" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:37">
<p>stallman.org, Feb 2015, <a href="https://www.stallman.org/articles/witch-hunt.html">Suggestion to the target of a witch hunt</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:37" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:38">
<p>Ashley Kunz, Skinning the Cat: How Mandatory Psychiatric Evaluations for Animal Cruelty Offenders Can Prevent Future Violence, 21 THE SCHOLAR 167 (2019).&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:38" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:39">
<p>Linda Lovelace with Mike McGrady, Ordeal, 1st pub. 1980 (London: W. H. Allen, 1981&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:39" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:40">
<p>The editors have elected not to provide citations for this section of the report.&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:40" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:41">
<p>Richard Stallman, 14 Nov 2009, ‘<a href="https://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-women-list/2009-November/msg00008.html">For avoidance of misunderstandings</a>’, gnome-women mailing list archive&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:41" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:42">
<p>The “abort” function in glibc included a joke referencing abortion until 2018. <a href="https://www.theregister.com/2018/05/09/gnu_glic_abort_stallman/">The Register, ‘Stallman miffed’, 9 May 2018</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:42" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:43">
<p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190902044253/https://www.fsf.org/about/staff-and-board">fsf.org, Staff and Board, 2019 archive via the Internet Archive</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:43" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:44">
<p><a href="https://x.com/mindspillage/status/1374448587388588037">Kat Walsh, March 23 2021</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:44" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:45">
<p><a href="https://mako.cc/copyrighteous/the-free-software-foundation-and-richard-stallman">The Free Software Foundation and Richard Stallman</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:45" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:46">
<p><a href="https://www.fsf.org/about/staff-and-board">fsf.org, Staff and Board</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:46" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref1:46" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:47">
<p>See <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/42888848">ProPublica – Free Software Foundation Inc</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:47" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:48">
<p><a href="https://www.fsf.org/news/fsf-board-frequently-asked-questions-faq#BoardvsVoting">fsf.org, FSF board frequently asked questions</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:48" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:49">
<p><a href="https://www.fsf.org/news/richard-m-stallman-resigns">fsf.org, Richard M. Stallman resigns</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:49" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:50">
<p><a href="https://www.ebb.org/bkuhn/blog/2019/10/15/fsf-rms.html">ebb.org, On the Controversial Events Regarding the Free Software Foundation and Richard M. Stallman</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:50" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref1:50" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref2:50" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref3:50" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:51">
<p><a href="http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/bradley-kuhn-joins-the-fsf-board">fsf.org, Bradley Kuhn Joins the FSF Board</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:51" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:52">
<p><a href="https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXI/Chapter151B/Section3A">Section 3A: Employers’ policies against sexual harassment; preparation of model policy; education and training programs</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:52" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:53">
<p>California Employers Association, <a href="https://www.employers.org/clientuploads/hr_resources/AB1825_Training_Requirements.pdf">AB1825 Requirements</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:53" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:54">
<p><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/42888848/202142219349301909/full">Propublica, Free Software Foundation Inc, 2020 Form 990</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:54" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:55">
<p>Internal Revenue Service 2020, ‘<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/i990--2020.pdf">Instructions for Form 990 Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax</a>, US Department of the Treasury&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:55" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:56">
<p><a href="https://www.fsf.org/about/board-of-directors-code-of-ethics">fsf.org, Board of Directors Code of Ethics</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:56" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:57">
<p><a href="https://www.fsf.org/about/voting-member-code-of-ethics">fsf.org, Voting Member Code of Ethics</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:57" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:58">
<p><a href="https://rms-open-letter.github.io/">An open letter to remove Richard M. Stallman from all leadership positions</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:58" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:59">
<p>A collective of GNU maintainers, 2019, <a href="https://guix.gnu.org/blog/2019/joint-statement-on-the-gnu-project/">Joint statement on the GNU Project</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:59" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
<li id="fn:60">
<p><a href="https://www.fsf.org/news/update-on-work-to-improve-governance-at-the-fsf">fsf.org, Update on work to improve governance at the FSF, 25 March 2021</a>&nbsp;<a href="#fnref:60" class="footnote-backref" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p>
</li>
</ol>
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