By signing for your BiCon pass you agree to abide by this code of conduct.
Why do we need a Code of Conduct?
People come to BiCon with different experiences and ideas of how to behave and how they expect others to behave. This Code of Conduct outlines what everyone, including organising team, workshop facilitators and volunteers, can expect from others and what is expected from all of us during BiCon.
The organisers will try to deal fairly and respectfully with any issue brought to us. We may also make reasonable requests that are not specifically included here.
People are responsible for themselves, their actions, and their own health.
You do not have to stay in any session you feel uncomfortable in. You can leave at any time.
Passes
People attending BiCon should wear their pass to all events; if you don’t, you may not be allowed into BiCon spaces until you get it.
Passes are numbered and non transferable. If you give your pass to another person you are defrauding BiCon. A fee may be payable to replace lost passes.
Harrassment: No Means No. Ask every time.
No one at BiCon should be put under any pressure to join in with things they do not want to do.
This includes:
- any sexual behaviour
- hugs or touching
- taking part in a activity
- disclosing information
- discussing topics which are sensitive or personal
- or even having a chat.
It is fine to ask someone once if they would like to do something. For example, “Would you like a hug?” If they refuse, continuing to ask is pestering them and will be viewed as harassment. If someone asks you to leave them alone, do so.You can ask the conduct team to tell someone to leave you alone.
In public, “no”, “stop”, “don’t do that” or similar words and phrases will be taken at face value by the BiCon organisers and volunteers, regardless of context.
Public behaviour
BiCon should be a place where people feel free to express their sexuality, but it is not a sex or fetish party. We ask that overtly sexual behaviour be kept out of the public areas. Please keep public behaviour within what is normally publicly acceptable.
BiCon is supportive of breastfeeding, it is illegal to discriminate against breasfeeding mothers. Please do not make negative comments if you see someone feeding their child.
Apart from the above exception BiCon attenders should remained fully clothed in all public areas. All nipples, genitalia and bums must be securely covered by clothing. Some sessions are counted as private areas and will be clearly marked as such.
Consent includes any audience. Remember that may include not just attendees, but venue staff and the general public, who may challenge you if they are uncomfortable.
Everyone at BiCon deserves to feel safe and no one deserves to be shouted or sworn at or made to feel threatened.
We don’t allow animals on-site, except for pre-registered assistance animals.
Please abide by the smoking zones which will be clearly marked and explained in the handbook. It is illegal to smoke anywhere indoors including on-site accommodation, including out of windows.
Discrimination, respecting difference
BiCon should be a safe space for all attenders, regardless of ethnicity, class, gender, disability, religion and belief, age or lifestyle. Bigoted behaviour of any kind will not be tolerated.
Don’t make negative comments or assumptions, or stereotype people on the basis of their skin colour, physical features, race, accent or religious belief. Negative comments about any aspect of a person’s culture or race, or fetishisation of cultural markers and physical features should be avoided. An example of this could be, “that’s such an exotic name” or “your dreadlocks are amazing, can I touch them?”
People who attend BiCon may define their gender in a range of different ways which we understand aren’t always easy to spot. If you are unsure of the pronoun someone uses we encourage you to ask them or avoid gendered language by using “they” instead of “he” or “she”. If you ask someone or are corrected about pronouns, please try to use them correctly. We accept people’s self-identified gender for all purposes at BiCon including single-gender spaces.
People are welcome to attend BiCon regardless of how they define their sexuality.
Please remember that everyone is at a different stage of awareness about various issues and don’t assume people are being malicious.
Safer spaces
Some spaces within BiCon are restricted to certain groups of people, e.g people aged 18 or over or those with a particular identity. These should be clearly marked in the session guide and handbook.
BiCon supports safer spaces and recognises their value. Please do not breach safer spaces you are not eligible to be in, but if you are eligible, don’t be afraid that you aren’t ‘enough’ of whatever group to go. If you are unsure of your eligibility you can ask to speak to someone wearing a purple sash for advice.
Confidentiality
Please respect people’s privacy, and be aware that not everyone at BiCon may be ‘out’ about their sexuality or other aspects of their lifestyle such as BDSM or non-monogamy. Ask permission before identifying anyone publicly. ‘Public’ includes write-ups on personal websites or on social networking sites such as Facebook.
Do not take any photographs or recordings of people without their express permission. It is your responsibility to make sure everyone in shot is happy to be photographed.
If you give permission for your photo to be taken, assume it may end up online linked to you by name as people may not remember your preferences after BiCon.
If you believe someone has taken your photograph without your permission you may ask them to delete the image or ask the desk or a volunteer to do so for you.
Members of the press should identify themselves to the desk and at any sessions they attend.
Getting help to deal with other people and incidents
If you want support in challenging anyone’s behaviour or anything they’ve said, please come and talk to the desk or the organisers who can assist you or speak to the person for you.
The organisers very much want to know about things that make people at BiCon less likely to attend another bi event. If anything happens that makes you uncomfortable or unwelcome – even if you do not want us to do anything about it, or feel it is your fault – please let us know.
Breaches of the code of conduct
If any of this happens to you at BiCon or you have witnessed inappropriate behaviour, we want to know so we can improve your experience.
You can tell us
- in person, there will be someone in a sash/on a desk
- through the organisers post box – write something and post it in
- by text
- by email 2016@bicon.org.uk.
Things we can do to help
If something has happened that makes you uncomfortable we can talk to anyone else involved. We are happy to do so, even if you haven't communicated this to them, since that is not always easy to do. We will listen to what you think would help. You don't have to know what would help.
Examples of things we can do
- communicate to others that there is a problem.
- ask for an apology
- ask them to leave you alone
- require them to not be where you are
- exclude them from the rest of BiCon
- pass their detail to future BiCons
These will be implemented at the discretion of the BiCon team.
Breaches of this Code of Conduct or reasonable requests will, in most cases, be met with a warning from a member of the organising team. The organisers decision is final.
If warnings are ignored, or in the event of serious misconduct, we reserve the right to ask anyone to leave all or part of BiCon. If you are asked to leave you will not receive any refund. We reserve the right to pass on details of complaints to future BiCon organisers.