Code of Conduct

      Blues With Friends 2018 is for everyone of every race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, physical appearance, religion, etc. Blues Dance St. Louis and its affiliated events are safer spaces, which means everyone has an absolute right to feel safe and respected.

 

• I will respect others and their boundaries.

• I will not tolerate harassment of any kind. This includes offensive verbal comments, deliberate intimidation, stalking or following, inappropriate or unwanted physical contact, and any non-consensual sexual attention.  Any behaviors, actions, or speech that result in making someone feel uncomfortable are unwelcome and will not be tolerated.

• I will take ownership of my own actions and language.  If someone lets me know, verbally or non-verbally, that they are feeling uncomfortable, I will check my behavior, apologize sincerely, and make a change.

• I will use verbal communication when asking someone to dance, honor a person’s wish not to dance, and accept a “no thank you” gracefully and politely whether at a dance or in a class. I will not give unsolicited advice in classes or on the social dance floor.

• Blues With Friends 2018 is for fun (and friends)! It’s ok to take risks and try new things, be loud and silly at the right time and place, joke around, have some drinks (or not), relax and let loose. Before I come to the event, I will figure out how to do these things in a way that is safe, respectful of others, and contributes to an overall positive and fun environment. 

• I understand that the Staff of the Blues With Friends 2018 reserves the right to take any action deemed necessary to enforce this policy.

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       Anyone in violation of this code could be subject to verbal warning, be asked to leave the event without refund, and/or, if appropriate, referred to law enforcement officials.

During the event, there will be event staff members and at least one external contact person to address any concerns you may have. Your concerns will be treated professionally and confidentially. Sarah Catalano is the Safe Spaces contacts for this event, and any and all volunteers and event staff can introduce you (if you do not know who they are). You can speak to her or any staff member in person to address a concern during the event. Alternately, you can email your concern to blueswithfriends@gmail.com.

 Regardless of the severity, please feel free to bring any harassment-related concerns to any member of the event staff. We will treat these issues with the strictest confidentiality, and with permission of the complainant. Your courage in coming forward can keep incidents from being repeated. If you are not sure whether an incident constitutes harassment, feel free to ask the staff’s opinion. If we don’t know, we will find out. All incidents will be handled confidentially and with permission of the complainant. If an incident involves a violation of the Code of Conduct, the accused will be handled/not handled in one of the following ways: watched but not approached (we keep an eye on them), spoken to about their behavior, kicked out, banned, or reported to the police.