Code of Conduct
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Code of Conduct

There are several explanatory sections found here, both before and after the Code of Conduct (a.k.a. “Code” or “CoC”) itself. If you like, you can jump directly to the code.

Purpose

LAcon V exists for the enjoyment and enrichment of the fannish community. This Code sets the community expectations for behavior of all persons and groups, as well as for all LAcon V events and activities.

We believe that codes of conduct and related policies enable, guide, and encourage safer and more secure relationships between convention members, participants, and volunteers with fewer accidental misunderstandings.

Encourage your friends and family to read this document. Discuss it with as many people as possible!

Principles

In reading this Code and applying it to yourself or the behavior of others, please remember the following:

  • Ask first! Before engaging in behavior that you are unsure about, check-in with the person you’re engaging with first. It is always easier to ask first rather than inadvertently harming, offending, or hurting someone.
  • Worldcon is World-wide! We are a multi-cultural event with people coming from all over the planet! Cross-cultural misunderstandings can and do occur, but can be minimized with a bit of forethought. Consider whether your joke or interaction could be misconstrued by someone who does not share your cultural context.

Everyone should feel welcome and comfortable at LAcon V and all related events, including any pre- or post-convention activities. We ask all our participants to work together to achieve this goal.

Listeners

If there are any potential Code violations, the Listeners team exists to listen to the person reporting them, open an investigation into the allegations, speak with all identified relevant people, and forge a solution that is best for both the reporter and for LAcon V. Please remember that Listeners are not omniscient. If there is a problem and nobody reports it, the Listeners cannot do anything about it.

The Code for LAcon V

Discrimination of any sort will not be tolerated at any LAcon V activity. Discriminatory classes include, but are not limited to, age; disability; faith or religious beliefs; gender; gender identity or expression; nationality or cultural background; neurodiversity; physical ability, appearance or body size; race or ethnicity; sexual identity or orientation; or socioeconomic status.

Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated at any LAcon V activity. Only ‘yes‘ means ‘yes‘; any other answer means ‘no‘. If someone tells you no or asks you to leave them alone, you are expected to cease your interaction with them immediately. Because people may feel uncomfortable saying no or asking you to leave them alone, the absence of no is not sufficient to assume consent.

In addition, the following are strictly forbidden and will be handled as swiftly as possible to mitigate both their current and future effects.

Any action(s) or behavior(s) that:

  • are illegal
  • violate the Weapons Policy
  • act in contrary to the Anti-Racism Statement
  • cause (or are intended to cause) significant interference with event operations or with other attendees; adversely affects any event relationship(s) with its guest(s), the event venue(s), or members of the general public
  • anything apparently designed to, or with the clear impact of, disrupting any portion of the event or making the environment hostile to any participant(s)
  • cause the display of sexually graphic, discriminatory, or other offensive images (including bigoted group iconography) in public spaces, even on handheld devices or as any part of any costume or cosplay
  • attempt to weaponize this Code of Conduct
  • advocate for, or encourage, any behaviours listed or related to those violations in this Code of Conduct
  • attempt to use the results of a Listeners investigation as a reason to make unwanted contact with any other participant

While there might be many examples of potential Code violations, they are just that: examples. Any of these examples, including those listed above, that are brought to the attention of the Listeners team will be investigated for potential action.

Additional Examples

The following types of activities and behaviors, whether active or passive, are considered to be harassment and are in violation of the Code, above.

Sex/Gender
  • Unwelcome or unwanted sexual remarks
  • Unwelcome or unwanted sexual behavior
  • Deliberate misgendering / deadnaming of anyone or continued misgendering / deadnaming them after being corrected
Interpersonal
  • Unwelcome or unwanted contact, whether physically or virtually, especially but not exclusively when sustained
  • Violating personal space in any sustained manner
  • Repeated questioning of any participant’s choice to mask, or refrain from masking, during any LAcon V event
    • Note that there may be cases of conflicting accessibility needs (e.g., someone who is immunocompromised must mask, but someone who lip reads needs them to unmask to understand them). Rather than arguing in these cases, we expect both parties to assume each other’s best intentions and look for collaborative solutions.
  • Coercion or intimidation
  • Stalking or following
  • Assault and/or battery, or clear attempts at either
  • Non-consensual behavior towards another member, volunteer, or participant
  • Making unwanted recording(s) of any sort (e.g., still photo, video, audio) of Anyone without their consent
Communication
  • Comments that are intended to belittle or demean others
  • Repeated comments that are intended to belittle or demean fiction/fandom preferences
  • Making comments that are intended to reinforce social structures of domination
  • Abuse, regardless of medium or language
  • Microaggressions

Adaptations, Amendments, and Expansions

The Code you are reading now is current as of the time it was published. Please be aware, though, that specific interpretations of the Code may vary, since it was written by humans for humans, and humans have been known to do the darndest things!

  • Broadly Applied: This Code of Conduct applies to all participants in all LAcon V activities. As such, we expect those working for any venue(s) where our activities are taking place to act, and to be treated, in line with the principles of this Code.
  • Future Update(s): LAcon V reserves the right to amend these rules at any time without prior or posted notice and the right of interpretation. There is likely to be at least one more update beforehand to cover at-con policies and procedures.
  • General not Specific: These rules and policies are not all-inclusive, and examples are included for illustrative purposes. Each potential infraction will be judged individually on its own merits.
  • Adapting in the Moment: LAcon V is prepared to deal with any issues related to this code in as rapid and efficient a manner as possible while maintaining our priorities of:
    • listening to the reporting individual with respect and dignity; and
    • recognizing the emotional impact of the incident.

We welcome feedback and suggestions for improvement to make it more robust; please feel free to contact us at conduct@lacon.org so we can review your suggestions.

Reporting Potential Violations

If you feel that you have been the target of a Code of Conduct violation in a LAcon V space before/during/after the convention, or if you see someone else behaving inappropriately in such spaces, please let us know. If you feel comfortable doing so, point out the inappropriate behavior as soon as possible to the nearest member of LAcon V staff; however, if you are unable to report immediately, that is okay, and a report can still be made.

To report a CoCV, see Reporting Methods below (coming soon!).

Reporting Potential Violations: It’s About You

When discussing a potential violation with the reporter, LAcon V staff will interact with all reporting individuals in a respectful manner designed to center the experience of the individual making the report. Our goal is to listen to your experience and assist you to re-establish your well-being.

If you have specific suggestions or recommendations as to the preferred outcome of the report, please make those known, either at the time you make your initial report or as soon as you have had a chance to consider it. Note that anonymous reports cannot be amended later.

While the person(s) accused of violating the Code will be interviewed, Listeners will typically not share the reporters or witness information with them. That aside, the circumstances around the report may lead the accused to make educated guesses about who the reporter(s) or witness(es) might be.

We will never move faster than what you are comfortable with. We will also tell you what our next steps will be and will follow-up with you, as appropriate, unless you request no additional contact. Please be aware that internal policies and/or local laws may not permit as complete a follow-up as you might prefer.

Depending on the nature of the violation, we may make suggestions of outside personnel whom you may wish to contact. These might include a friend or family member, local social services, medical assistance, or law enforcement.

Reporting Potential Violations: Next Steps

Once your report has been recorded, the Listeners will develop a report of the incident, including speaking privately with any/all involved persons (including witnesses) who can be located. Once a report has been developed, senior members of the Listeners team will decide upon an appropriate action, consulting with the LAcon V Committee and/or Chair as appropriate.

Reporting Potential Violations: Privacy

LAcon V will not idly disclose the identities of any persons involved; personally identifying information (PII) will be restricted solely to those parties whose lack of access to this information would hamper them in the performance of their duties. In many cases, PII will not be shared outside of the Listeners at all. In others, specific LAcon V staff members will be notified.

Reporting Potential Violations: Advance Notice

If you are planning to attend an LAcon V event, either a pre-convention event or the convention itself, and have concerns regarding another individual who may be present, you can contact Listeners at the address listed above. We will listen to your concerns and discuss options that the event may be able to provide to you.

Potential Consequences

Anyone found to have violated the LAcon V Code of Conduct will be subject to consequences. In some cases, interim actions may be taken as a precaution, with further actions possible in the future.

Actions taken may include, but are not limited to:

  • Verbal warning
  • Temporary or permanent ejection from the current LAcon V event
  • Moderating or banning participation in LAcon V social media channels
  • Revocation of LAcon V membership
  • Banning from future LAcon events

LAcon V reserves the right to revoke membership and eject anyone at any time from any or all LAcon V events, including the convention, with no refund.

Definitions for Code & Policies

Common definitions for terms found in this Code and other LAcon V policies can be found on the Policy Definitions page.

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