StimCafe Safer Spaces Agreement
The aim of the Safer Spaces Agreement is to:
Remind participants that creating safer spaces is everyone’s responsibility.
Remind participants that words, body language, actions, and behaviour affect other people and their feelings and overall wellbeing.
Remind people to be aware of other people’s personal boundaries and ensure these are respected.
Remind people that our community is beautifully diverse and to be aware of how our power and privilege can impact our behaviour in ways that hurt those with marginalised identities.
Empower participants to feel safe and supported in ‘calling out’ behaviours by others that they find oppressive or discriminatory.
We ask that all StimCafe members and guests agree to:
Respect people’s physical and emotional boundaries.
Always get explicit verbal consent before touching someone or crossing personal boundaries.
Always get explicit verbal consent before taking a photograph of someone and before posting it online, on any platform.
Respect that people show up in social spaces in different ways, this means that some might not want to be talkative and/or to focus on their own activity, e.g. parallel play
Respect that some people may be non-speaking in a social space but this does not mean that they are not part of the fun, please make space to allow them to communicate how they feel most comfortable doing so
Respect the intersecting identities that we hold in the StimCafe community, including, but not limited to, those who are Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, Disabled, Trans, Intersex, Queer, Non-binary or LGBT+. This includes not engaging in any behaviour or language that perpetuates oppression, for example being racist, ageist, sexist, transphobic, homophobic, ableist, classist, sizeist, or any bigoted behaviour.
Be responsible for your own actions. Be aware that your actions do have an effect on others.
If someone is upset or offended by your actions, you need to take personal responsibility for this, regardless of whether the harm was intended.
Take responsibility for your own safety, and ask for help if you need it.
Be aware that there may be times when children or vulnerable people may be in the space, and that their safety needs to be ensured.
If the Agreement is Not Respected:
A space should be inclusive of every individual where possible, but, if certain individuals are making the place unsafe, they are making it less inclusive for others. If you feel that you cannot abide by the Safer Spaces Agreement you should exclude yourself from the space.
We recognise that acts of harm might come about because of lack of understanding or education of the harmful impact of certain behaviours but that behaviour of this kind will still be challenged, even if it was unintended. We aim to challenge behaviour in a constructive and educational way, with respect for the backgrounds, lived experiences and intersectional identities of everyone involved.
However, individuals who disregard or continually behave in ways that contravene the Safer Spaces Agreement may be asked to leave our spaces and may not be entitled to attend future events unless we are comfortable and confident that they have understood the impact of their actions and can demonstrate how we can be certain that their behaviour has changed.
How to notify us of behaviours that may not be in line with the Safer Spaces Agreement:
During an event please approach one of the Lead Volunteers and let us know that you need a quiet chat, we will find someone quiet for you to tell us what has happened.
Email stimcafe@gmail.com to let us know in writing