Our Code of Conduct is our commitment to the community to provide a welcoming, safe(r) space for all its participants. All presenters, volunteers, and attendees at the conference are required to agree with the following code of conduct. Organizers will enforce this code throughout the event and conference-related online spaces.

We are dedicated to providing an oppression-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of level of experience, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, personal appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, age, religion (or lack thereof), or nationality. We define oppression as any language or action that expresses, reinforces, upholds, or sympathizes with any form of systemic social domination.

Please note that our photography, venue, and COVID policies are all expected to be followed and breaking these policies is also a violation of the code of conduct.

Expected Behavior

The following behaviors are expected of all community members:

• Participate in an authentic and active way. In doing so, you contribute to the health and longevity of this community.

• Exercise consideration and respect in your speech and actions.

• Attempt collaboration before conflict.

• Remember that community event venues may be shared with members of the public; please be respectful to all patrons of these locations.

Unacceptable Behavior

Unacceptable behavior from any community member, including those with decision-making authority, will not be tolerated. Anyone asked to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately.

Unacceptable behaviors include: intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory, or demeaning speech or actions by any participant in our community online, at all related events, and in one-on-one communications carried out in the context of community business.

Harassment includes: harmful or prejudicial verbal or written comments related to gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, or disability; inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces (including presentation slides); deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

The most common violation of the Code of Conduct is a microaggression, which is a statement that reinforces the status quo, and may make minorities feel uncomfortable, alone, or unsupported. Even a small microaggression is still a Code of Conduct violation and we welcome reports of them.

What you can do if you experience unacceptable behavior:

If you are subject to or witness unacceptable behavior, or have any other concerns, please contact us, with a description of the incident, when and where it happened, and any other details you feel comfortable disclosing.

You have several options for contacting us:

• Find a conference organizer and talk to us in person

• Send a private Slack message to any conference organizer

• Text (202) 306-5952 securely on Signal (Alex)

We won't share your contact information or the contents of your message with anyone other than event organizers.

When you report a Code of Conduct violation, the following will happen:

• We will ask what you would like to be done in response to the incident and we will evaluate whether taking that action is in accordance with our values.

• If we believe the incident is especially alarming or has done harm to a lot of people, we may choose to remove a person from the event or address the issue to our attendees more publicly.

• The timeframe in which we respond to reports will vary incident to incident. However, we commit to giving an initial response to all reports within two weeks of the conference.

Addressing Grievances

If you feel you have been falsely or unfairly accused of violating this Code of Conduct, contact us with a description of your grievance.