BECAUSE Code of Conduct

BECAUSE is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. This Code of Conduct applies to all attendees, organizers, and guests of the conference.

Event organizers may take action to redress anything designed to, or with the clear impact of, disrupting the event or making the environment hostile for any participants. Conference participants violating these rules may be expelled from the conference without a refund at the discretion of the conference organizers. 

Harassment includes, but is not limited to:

• Verbal comments that reinforce social structures of domination related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, or religion.
• Sustained disruption of workshops or other events
• Attempts to pressure someone into continuing a discussion they’re uncomfortable with
• Photography or recording without the express consent of those being photographed or recorded
• Uninvited physical contact
• Unwelcome sexual attention
• Overtly sexual behavior in public spaces
• Not respecting someone’s self-identified gender or pronouns
• Not respecting any verbal or non-verbal cue to stop interacting with someone (such as “stop talking to me,” “no,” or the person turning away from you or trying to avoid you)
• Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior

Reporting
If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as you are safe to conference organizers or a Bisexual Organizing Project (BOP) board member.

• You do not have to personally confront anyone else involved.
• You do not have to make a report during the conference.
• You do not need to be personally involved to make a report of a violation of the CoC that you witnessed.
• You can make an anonymous report using the form at http://becauseconference.org/policies. We can't follow up on an anonymous report with you directly, but we will fully investigate it and take whatever action is necessary to prevent a recurrence.
• You can make a report in person by approaching any conference organizer or Bisexual Organizing Project (BOP) board member. BOP board members and conference organizers will be identified by ribbons on their badges. Additionally, you can ask for a conference organizer to be called by anyone at the registration/info desk, or by texting or calling 612-666-9214.

When taking a personal report, our organizers will ensure you are safe and cannot be overheard. Once safe, we'll ask you to tell us about what happened. This can be upsetting, but we'll handle it as respectfully as possible, and you can bring someone to support you. You won't be asked to confront anyone, and we won't tell anyone who you are.

Enforcement
Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.
If a participant or staff member engages in harassing behavior, event organizers retain the right to take any actions to keep the event a welcoming environment for all participants. This includes warning the offender or expulsion from the conference with no refund.
This may include:

• Asking them to stop their harassing behaviors
• Asking them to not talk to or approach you or the person being harassed
• Removing them from the current BECAUSE
• Not allowing them to register for or attend future BECAUSE conferences

The decision of the conference organizers is final.

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