<div dir="ltr"><div>I've dealt with the issue both at HacDC, and at BrainSilo.</div><div><br></div><div>BrainSilo, which I founded back in 2010, was created with the express intent of being radically inclusive through radical tolerance - aka, say what you want, and have really thick skin. This has definitely caused some people to not want to be associated with the space; it's also locally driven the start of an expressly feminist hackerspace - which though I disagree with the concept of, I'm happy to have for those who want it. We've never had someone suggest a SSP at BrainSilo, and I don't expect it to happen - if someone is annoying you, tell them, suck it up, annoy them back, or ask for the members to censure the problem individual.<br>
</div><div><br></div><div>While living in DC last year, I was involved in the HacDC Anti-Harassment policy fiasco - some might say I helped cause it, as I was a primary objector to the initial draft. An AHP was proposed with almost no discussion, and *lots* of problems in it's wording - one of those exceptionally badly wirtten and subjective ones that are prone to abuse. A few people objected on the members mailing list (which was the proper forum for discussion of proposals), and a the ensuing thread had a massive amount of triggers in it, causing some other members to claim they were being harassed just by virtue of the discussion taking place. This led to a member of staff taking unilateral action to silence the discussion, and you can probably imagine how well that went over - essentially, it was a comedy of errors that wasn't funny at all; eventually, the proposal was voted in after modifications.</div>
<div><br></div><div>As you've already got your SPP through, congratulations - especially since it seems a majority of your members either approved of it, didn't care about it, or didn't understand it. For others who are considering putting in either a AHP or SSP, I strongly suggest taking it slow; having conversations about it take place in a dedicated forum/mailing list that people have to opt-in for; having trigger warnings everywhere; and having some people with *really* thick skin acting as moderators.</div>
<div><br></div><div>~ Loki // BrainSilo.org</div><div><br></div>Just as a nit-picky note, it's normally considered exceedingly reasonable for a members to ask for the exact resolution/policy to be read before the vote. This is referred to as "Stating the Question" and/or "Putting the Question" in the parlance of RROR, depending on the stage of the proceedings at which it is done. While electronic distribution and discussion of proposals before a vote is wonderful, it's all to easy for "small things" to get changed between the version that is sent out, and the version that is adopted/voted on; reading the exact statement/policy that is to be voted on helps prevent this.<div>
<br></div><div>As a further nit-pick, almost by definition a "Safe Space Policy" promotes and enforces what I'd term inequality; it artificially empowers those who are willing to appear vulnerable/disadvantaged/non-privileged. If your goal, as you state, is founded on a base of equality, perhaps your definition of equality differs greatly from mine. I'm curious - when you say equality, do you mean "affirmative equality"; or do you mean "blind/neutral equality"?</div>
<div><br></div><div>RROR: <a href="http://www.robertsrules.org/rror-01.htm">http://www.robertsrules.org/rror-01.htm</a> - see (6) and (9)</div><div><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">
On Mon, Jan 27, 2014 at 2:41 PM, Brendan Halliday <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:wodann@gmail.com" target="_blank">wodann@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.571428298950195px">Thank you to everyone who has contributed constructively to this thread to provide your experiences with Safe Space Policies. Especially those who gave helpful suggestions on how to make sure the culture of the space matches its goals closely. (Mine is founded on a base of equality under the hackerspace's roof, and a Safe Space Policy helps to demonstrate and enforce that. Yours may not be so YMMV. :))</span><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.571428298950195px">
<br></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.571428298950195px">Just for future context, only one member out of the 20 at the meeting voted against it and that's because he was upset that the group wouldn't let him read the policy then and there - we expect people to read and understand agenda items before the meeting and provide digital versions a week beforehand and printouts on the day.</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.571428298950195px"><br></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.571428298950195px">It's interesting also to notice the amount of white (I'm going to assume cis male) men on this mailing list dictating there is not a problem with a 'hackerspaces' culture, when there's many examples of how many problems there are with very closely related events and groups regularily in the news and on this mailing list. (I hate to pick on Noisebridge but they're a very prime example.)</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.571428298950195px"><br></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.571428298950195px">Again, thank you to the constructive, helpful repliers. I hope the rest can eventually hack their attitude to be the former!</div>
</div><div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5"><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Jan 28, 2014 at 5:23 AM, Cecilia Tanaka <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:cecilia.tanaka@gmail.com" target="_blank">cecilia.tanaka@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><p>Dear Michel, </p>
<p>I hear that. And I understand. <br>
I just don't care.</p>
<p>Hugs from Brazil! </p>
<p>(Sorry, I am too far to participate in your hackerspace, Mark! :-)</p>
<p>Ceci</p><div><div>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Jan 27, 2014 4:07 PM, "Michel Gallant" <<a href="mailto:sfxman@gmail.com" target="_blank">sfxman@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr">You hear that, women? You can participate, but you have to do what this man says first.<br></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Jan 28, 2014 at 1:06 AM, Mark Janssen <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:dreamingforward@gmail.com" target="_blank">dreamingforward@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Okay foo(l)s. Here's the thing. The hackerspace meme and world has<br>
not "matured" sufficiently to be handling ideologies. Everyone just<br>
back the f*k off, so that these good people can get things done and<br>
end the banter that they don't have the means to control.<br>
<br>
I strongly suggest, no more questions regarding policy-making,<br>
policies, governance, funding, and such until the meme comes back<br>
together. Women you're more than welcome to participate, please just<br>
come over here first.<br>
<br>
markj<br>
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