Our Strong Stand for a Safe Space

It is of paramount importance that this be a place where everyone feels safe and respected, in accordance with the values that we champion as a site. 

Everyone participating here is required to agree to the following Code of Conduct. This includes all both community members and staff.

We Will Not Tolerate Harassment in ANY Form

It is every individual’s right to an experience free from harassment or the fear of harassment, regardless of race or ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, physical appearance, body size, sexual orientation, disability or age. 

Anyone who violates this Code of Conduct may be sanctioned and/or banned outright from this and all other FanFuture platforms. We reserve the right to take any actions we deem necessary to ensure our platforms have a welcoming, harassment-free environment and we take every report extremely seriously.

Harassment Defined

Harassment can include, but is not be limited to:

• Continued one-on-one communication after requests to cease.
• Photography and recording without consent, or the manipulation of photographs or recordings made with the intention to offend, intimidate, embarrass or demean.
• Verbal, written, or social media comments that offend, intimidate, embarrass or demean, including those that reinforce social structures of prejudice or domination regarding race or ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, physical appearance, body size, sexual orientation, mental illness, neurotype, language, disability or age.
• Publication of non-harassing private communication without consent by the involved parties.
• Deliberate misgendering or use of ‘dead’ or rejected names.
• Deliberate “outing” of any aspect of a person’s identity without their consent except as necessary to protect other community members or other vulnerable people from intentional abuse.
• Threats of violence.
• Incitement of violence towards any individual, including encouraging a person to commit suicide or to engage in self-harm.
• Pattern of inappropriate social contact, such as requesting/assuming inappropriate levels of intimacy with others.
• Gratuitous or off-topic sexual images or behaviour in spaces where they’re not appropriate.
• Stalking, following or unwelcome attention, either in person or through an online medium.

Placing the Marginalized over the Privileged

FanFuture prioritizes marginalized people’s safety over privileged people’s comfort.

FanFuture reserves the right NOT to act on complaints regarding:

• ‘Reverse’ -isms, including ‘reverse racism,’ ‘reverse sexism,’ and ‘cisphobia’
• Reasonable communication of boundaries, such as “leave me alone,” or “I’m not discussing this with you.”
• Communicating in a ‘tone’ you don’t find congenial when responding to perceived threats
• Criticizing racist, sexist, cissexist, or otherwise oppressive behavior or assumptions

Reporting and Enforcement

If anyone, regardless of who they are, makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as you are able. 

We will take every report extremely seriously, in confidence (within the confines of the law) and with the utmost respect. 

We will not ask that you confront anyone. 

Your identity will always remain private and will not shared with anyone else involved in the situation (again, within the confines of applicable law).

Consequences

Community members asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

If a community member engages in harassing behavior, FanFuture may take any action we deem appropriate, up to and including expulsion from all FanFuture spaces and identification of the participant as a harasser to other FanFuture community members or the general public for their awareness and protection.

Guidelines for good conduct

We expect the conduct and treatment on our platforms to resemble the very best conduct seen anywhere else and we do not think it will get in anyone’s way of participating and enjoying themselves. Nevertheless, for clarity and for everyone’s comfort, you should always…

• Be sure you have a person’s consent before you share their posts or communications beyond FanFuture platforms.
• Be respectful in all forums and discussions, but particularly those that may relate to issues of discrimination or representation. It is your responsibility to participate in sensitive conversations in a deliberate, thoughtful, respectful manner and be considerate of all community members and their own shared experiences.
• Be conscientious; be aware of how your behaviour may impact those around you or those you are interacting with. Stop and think.

With the Greatest of Thanks

This document is inspired by and draws upon conduct codes from ShutUp&SitDown and their incredible SHUX team (we’ll be seeing you again in 2021…or sadly 2022?!), Nine Worlds and the Geek Feminism Wiki. Special thanks to Strix, Meg Jayanth, Maddie B and Tanya DePass for their important consultations and contributions. This document also borrows from XOXOFest’s Code of Conduct.This policy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internationallicense. We encourage other events to adopt (and enforce) similar policies by using and remixing ours.