The Python Software Foundation (PSF) has announced that it has withdrawn its $1.5 million proposal to the U.S. government’s National Science Foundation after discovering terms that would have restricted the organization’s ability to support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Here’s how it all unfolded.
In January 2025, the PSF applied for funding under the NSF’s Safety, Security, and Privacy of Open Source Ecosystems program. The proposal sought to address structural vulnerabilities in Python and the PyPI—a move intended to bolster the security of the Python ecosystem and protect millions of users from potential supply-chain attacks.
The grant, worth $1.5 million over two years, represented a major opportunity for the relatively small non-profit, which operates on an annual budget of around $5 million and has just 14 staff members.
After an extensive, months-long vetting process led by Seth Larson, PSF’s Security Developer in Residence, and Loren Crary, the Foundation’s Deputy Executive Director, the proposal was recommended for funding—a rare success for a first-time NSF applicant.
However, the celebration was short-lived. The PSF was presented with a clause stating that recipients must affirm they “do not, and will not during the term of this financial assistance award, operate any programs that advance or promote DEI, or discriminatory equity ideology in violation of Federal anti-discrimination laws.”
Crucially, this restriction would have applied not just to the project funded by the grant but to all activities of the PSF, exposing the organization to potential clawbacks of previously spent funds if found in violation.
The Foundation made clear that accepting those terms would directly contradict its mission statement, which commits to “promote, protect, and advance the Python programming language, and to support and facilitate the growth of a diverse and international community of Python programmers.”
After consulting its NSF contacts and reviewing similar cases, including The Carpentries’ decision in comparable circumstances, the PSF ultimately decided it could not sign the required statement without betraying its values.
“We simply can’t agree to a statement that we won’t operate any programs that ‘advance or promote’ diversity, equity, and inclusion, as it would be a betrayal of our mission and our community,” the organization stated.
So, at the end, the PSF Board voted unanimously to withdraw the proposal, prioritizing ethical integrity over the significant financial and operational advantages the grant would have brought.
The PSF noted that forfeiting the grant will have financial implications, especially amid inflation, lower sponsorship, and economic uncertainty in the tech sector. Still, the organization reaffirmed its commitment to inclusion and community diversity, making it non-negotiable.
For more information, see the official PSF’s announcement.
Imagine if the PSF focused on the language instead of politics. But I guess the urge to virtue signal is just too strong to resist.
DEI is hard-alt-far-left-communism, and both anti-Western and anti-white.
Buzz buzz
Because you’re certainly more gifted than Adam B. If someone is refused over any other candidate, most of the time, it’s because he’s a bad fit, not only on a technical pov but also he may be some aggressive person occupying its days trolling on the internet.
And since nobody has ever explained how to “hiring based on merit” is supposed to work, and since that companies have no obligations to hire competent people, it just doesn’t make sense blaming DEI for anything.
Most companies just want to better understand their customers and their needs, so what if a company got 80% of black women as customers, it’s forced to hire only white men?
As for Python Foundation, it could mean laying off many people working there for years just because they’re not white?
What’s happened to hiring people based on their skills? If DEI hiring practice can bring down a for-profit behemoth like Intel, it will be even easier to destroy non-profit common-man Linux.
Way to much woke garbage. Debian now this.
Make your own anti-woke scripting language, then.
What a dumb decision. I hope nobody donates to the project then.
“or discriminatory equity ideology in violation of Federal anti-discrimination laws”
“violates its mission and community spirit”
Amazing. Python stands with discrimination.
What’s the other side of the “or”?
DEI is discrimination. It does not hire based on merit, but instead actively encourages discrimination AGAINST certain skin colors and races, and discriminates FOR other skin colors and races. I have been discriminated against since the early 90’s based on similar programs, not called DEI back then. And I’m white/Caucasian. I’m not resentful. Just stating the facts. It’s not like we haven’t been rooting for the underdogs for a very long time. I truly want the underdogs to rise up and have a chance, based on merit.
“I’ve been discriminated against since [my race and sex were no longer exclusively considered qualified for certain positions]”
Equity isn’t equality. You feel you were discriminated against because you were raised to believe you were superior to the “underdog.” Don’t cry that you have to hand the microphone to someone else once in a while.
If you have the experience and are the most qualified for the position then that is all that should matter. According to the company I work for ai will most likely be capable of doing all coding on most projects within 3-4 years or sooner at the rate its advancing even with the current issues since the issues they are currently having will most likely have been solved at the rate corrections and improvements are currently happening so none this may matter anyhow since ai will eliminate the coders anyhow.
” It does not hire based on merit, but instead actively encourages discrimination AGAINST certain skin colors and races, and discriminates FOR other skin colors and races.”
But if it discriminates in favour of “other skin colors and races” rather than “certain skin colors and races” then it is just another form of DEI.
Sounds like you got let go for telling problematic jokes. I’m white from rural lower class Oklahoma and have never felt discriminated against because of my skin color. You ever stop to consider the problem might just be you?
Not really. It sounds like he applied for some position, but they chose someone less qualified but more “diverse”.