Rep. Will Hurd will no longer be delivering the keynote address at a cybersecurity conference due to complaints about his voting record on women’s rights.
The move came after some in the cybersecurity community said they were not comfortable with some of Hurd’s political positions and voting record, Tech Crunch reports. The Texas Republican has voted in favor of limiting access to abortions and defunding Planned Parenthood. He also voted against a bill that would financially support women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
“We misjudged the separation of technology and politics,” the group said a statement. “We will continue to focus on technology and research, however we recognize that Black Hat USA is not the appropriate platform for the polarizing political debate resulting from our choice of speaker.”
“We are still fully dedicated to providing an inclusive environment and apologize that this decision did not reflect that sentiment,” it added.
Hurd’s communications director said the congressman was honored to have been invited and hopes that the event goes well.
“Congressman Hurd has always sought to engage groups of people that don’t necessarily agree with all of his votes or opinions,” she said. “That’s why Rep. Hurd is one of the loudest voices for bipartisanship in Congress. This Congress alone, he voted for equal pay for equal work, for the Violence Against Women Act and the Equality Act.”
A new keynote speaker for the event, planned for August, has not yet been announced.
