Hundreds of tech workers with the San Jose-based software firm Adobe are protesting the company for hosting its annual conference in Florida later this year instead of California, citing the Sunshine State’s “hostile” laws toward marginalized groups.
More than 500 Adobe workers signed a petition earlier this month demanding that the company relocate its Adobe MAX 2024 conference to a more “inclusive” state, according to Business Insider. The annual conference, which has mostly been held in Los Angeles since 2009, is scheduled to take place in Miami Beach in October.
“We sincerely hope that the overwhelming evidence that Florida is a hostile environment for Adobe’s employees, partners, and customers will lead to a reconsideration of the location selected for Adobe MAX 2024,” the ten-page petition reads. It says the employees were “shocked and dismayed” at the decision to hold the conference in Florida.
“If this is truly not possible, then, in the spirit of our Adobe Core Values, we would like to see the plan for meaningful mitigation of the real dangers Florida presents, along with a new internal approach to these decisions to ensure the health and safety of Adobe employees, partners, and customers at future corporate events,” the document continues.
It’s unclear which “real dangers” the petition was referring to.
The internally-circulated petition caused an uproar within Adobe prompting a company-wide meeting on February 13. During the meeting, company leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the Miami venue while employees complained about the move in an internal Slack channel.
“I’m shocked and disappointed at the lack of consideration in that call,” an anonymous employee wrote in a message obtained by Business Insider.
The petition goes on to say that Florida maintains “egregious policies” and holds “hostility towards many of our communities and allies.” The comments were primarily aimed at Governor Ron DeSantis, who has made a national name for himself combatting wokeism in Florida since assuming office five years ago.
In 2022, for example, DeSantis famously signed an education bill restricting the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida elementary schools. The Parental Rights in Education law was commonly referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, despite including no restrictions on children saying the word “gay.”
The governor has also led efforts to ban DEI programs and the teaching of critical race theory in the state’s public colleges and universities, as well as prohibiting transgender procedures for minors.
The 500 signers of the petition are a fraction of Adobe’s workforce of about 28,000 people, according to media reports.
“This is a stunt,” DeSantis press secretary Jeremy Redfern said of the petition.
Adobe plans to bring the conference back to Los Angeles after this year. Attempts made by National Review to reach the company for comment were not immediately successful.