Ruby Central is Not Behaving in Good Faith, and I’ve Got Receipts Overview This essay by Jared White, lead maintainer of the Bridgetown Ruby web framework, provides a detailed timeline and critique of Ruby Central's handling of controversies surrounding David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH), creator of Ruby on Rails. White alleges Ruby Central has acted in bad faith by platforming DHH despite his increasingly controversial and divisive public views. --- Key Context and Disclaimers Jared usually posts technical content but treats this topic as personal and reflective of community ethics. Opinions expressed are personal and do not represent the Bridgetown project. The controversy center on Ruby Central's support of DHH’s participation in events and insufficient response to community concerns about his rhetoric. --- Timeline of Events May 28, 2025 Ruby Central announces DHH will appear at RailsConf 2025 for a fireside chat. DHH has become highly polarizing due to public support of far-right figures and hateful rhetoric targeting immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, Black communities, and others. Prior controversies led to DHH creating the Rails Foundation and hosting separate Rails World conferences as a rebuke to Ruby Central. May 30, 2025 DHH posts on X (formerly Twitter) dismissing criticism from the Ruby community, mocking allegations of him being a “nazi” or “fascist.” June 10, 2025 Ruby Central holds Zoom meeting with leadership and community members, including Jared White. Concerns include timing of DHH’s announcement, protections against hateful speech, and sponsor pressures. Jared shares DHH’s prior dismissive public posts. Ruby Central Executive Director Shan Cureton claims unawareness and promises to investigate. Meeting is recorded with community permission, but recording is later withheld from public release citing privacy concerns. Ruby Central posts a RailsConf FAQ that omits direct mention of DHH or community unrest. July 8, 2025 DHH participates in RailsConf with no known repercussions. September 1, 2025 Ruby Central emails mention their leadership attending Rails World—DHH's conference franchise. Jared publicly condemns Ruby Central's attendance at Rails World given DHH’s continued toxic public presence. Jared emails Ruby Central expressing inability to support them due to lack of disavowal of DHH's hateful views; receives no immediate response. Jared follows up, accusing Ruby Central of complicity through silence and failing to protect marginalized communities. Marketing Director Rhiannon Payne resigns; open questions about Ruby Central's strategic direction and growth. September 16, 2025 Shan Cureton replies with a noncommittal, polite PR-style email emphasizing Ruby Central’s mission for inclusivity and welcoming spaces without addressing specific concerns. Jared responds by rejecting the false narrative that "all nonsense is in the past" and insists Ruby Central cannot claim inclusivity while DHH leads the community. September 19, 2025 Jared links to an in-depth article by Ruby programmer Joel Drapper, uncovering further Ruby Central controversies based on private conversations and insider accounts. --- Conclusion and Outlook Jared is “done with the drama” but remains committed to the Ruby language and its community. Proposes building a new Ruby ecosystem rooted in transparent, democratic governance free from associations with fascists or hateful ideologies. Calls for a grassroots Ruby ecosystem independent of Ruby Central, Rails Foundation, and their current leadership. Emphasizes the need for accountability and ethical stewardship in open source communities. --- Additional Notes Jared references a hopeful post by former Ruby Central Director Adarsh Pandit, appreciating their past contributions. White shares resources, encourages subscriptions to his newsletter, and links related essays about Ruby,