BAM Druid Gather Code of Conduct

All attendees, speakers, vendors, organizers, and volunteers at BAM Druid Gather are required to agree to the following code of conduct. This code applies to all of us, regardless of position or responsibilities. BAM organizers will enforce this code throughout the event. We expect cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe environment for everybody.

The Quick Version

BAM Druid Gather is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone who attends. We do not tolerate harassment of event participants in any form. Harassing language and imagery is not appropriate in any venue connected with BAM, including talks, workshops, parties, FaceBook, or other social media platforms. Event participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the event without a refund at the discretion of the event organizers.

Please DO engage with BAM in a way that is meaningful and joyful!  Respectful, consent-positive behavior helps build strong communities.  Have as much fun as you want as long as it does not negatively affect the experience of others or the intention of the event.

 

The Less Quick Version

A Culture of Consent. BAM Druid Gather is a place where an individual’s physical, mental, and spiritual sovereignty is honored at all times.  Together we create a culture of consent where each person determines their own degree of participation in both physical and energetic interactions. To further this environment:

  • All ritual and workshop facilitators will offer a pre-ritual/workshop briefing which will include a description of any physical touching (anointing, hugging, hand-holding, etc.), energetic touching (reiki, smudging, group intoning, collective group trance, etc.), and/or shared food/drink touching (shared loaf from which participants tear pieces, communal horn/chalice, etc.), as well as informing participants of any gendered roles in the ritual/workshop. Ritual and workshop facilitators are expected to be prepared to offer inclusive alternatives to all physical, energetic, and sharing-of-consumables for participants.
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  • Attendees will seek explicit, affirmative consent before touching any other attendee.  This may be a verbal response (“yes!” or “no!”) or non-verbal (e.g., opening arms to accept a hug, or shaking head to decline). Attendees who have existing agreements about touch with each other (parents/children, family members, close friends, romantic partners, etc.) may follow their own agreements with each other.  Consent extends to social distancing and masking–if you see someone with a mask around their neck, assume they would like to observe at least 6’ of social distance.
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  • Attendees should always feel free to leave a workshop, ritual, dance, hike, or other activity if they need to do so for their own health and well-being. Facilitators will give instructions on how to safely do so at the beginning of each activity.
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  • While BAM seeks to promote a child-friendly environment, parents and guardians are responsible for children’s behavior at the event, not BAM staff or other attendees.  Parents and guardians should be advised that if their children are disruptive, the child may be requested to leave an activity or ritual.  Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  Parents and guardians must also realize that, even in their absence, they are legally responsible for their children’s actions.
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Definitions. “Harassment” includes:

  1. Offensive verbal comments related but not limited to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, technology choices, theological perspective, political affiliation, vaccination status, or relationship status (polyamory, monogamy, singleness).
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  3. Targeted and/or intentional misgendering or deadnaming individuals, including in a passive-voice or sarcastic tone and/or structure.  Accidental misgendering is not a violation of policy and is encouraged to be addressed in a respectful, gentle manner by all parties involved.
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  5. Inappropriate or unwanted physical contact, including touching, hugging, and kissing.  Please respect people’s “personal bubble” without explicit consent.  Consent can always be withdrawn.
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  7. Unwelcome sexual or personal attention. Be aware of and respect the personal boundaries of other attendees, which may differ from your own.  This includes over-sexualized talk and/or innuendo in group, team, or event settings.  We’re on the other side of the Wheel from Beltaine.  The first step is always withdrawal of consent.
  8. Deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography, or recording.
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  10. Sustained disruption of talks or other events (including through intoxication by any substance).
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  12. Mocking or sarcastic patterning/behavior towards rules and regulations in a group, team, or event setting.
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  14. Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior, or any other behavior that is against the law.
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“Harassment” does NOT include:

  1. Differences of opinion.
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  3. Inadvertent, unrepeated, mild boundary infractions.
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  5. Frank and respectful discussions of religion, politics, theology, social policy, etc. 
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  7. Inadvertent triggering–you are responsible for understanding your limits (if an otherwise respectful conversation or situation is difficult or unsettling to you for personal reasons, you have every right and a responsibility to your own well-being to step away).
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  9. Ill-received jokes (unless the teller, when made aware of the unwelcomeness of the humor, continues to tell similar jokes).
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What You Can Do.

All should have the opportunity to speak openly and be treated fairly.  BAM has a core belief of open, honest, and respectful communication.  It is important that you feel safe and comfortable bringing up any concerns.  If you are being subjected to unacceptable behavior, notice that someone else is being subjected to unacceptable behavior, or have any other concerns, please first consider informing the person or persons responsible that you would like them to stop, and to remind them about the Code of Conduct.  You may also wish to notify a BAM staff member.  Often the offending behavior is unintentional and those involved will resolve the incident amicably.

If you believe that bringing up the incident with the person involved may have negative consequences for you or others, or could lead to further breaches, then please inform a staff member about the incident.


What We Will Do.

If anyone is asked to cease unacceptable behavior, it is expected that they will comply immediately.

If unacceptable behavior persists—even after the person involved has been asked to stop—their behavior should be reported promptly to the event staff.  The report should be made by the recipient of the unacceptable behavior and/or a direct witness. We will look into all reported concerns with appropriate attention to confidentiality and take any necessary action. If the person engaging in harassing behavior is a BAM staff member, they will recuse themselves from any handling of the situation and may be asked to leave the festival venue.

When taking a personal report, staff will ensure safety and discretion. We may also seek permission to involve other relevant staff from the event and venue to ensure the report is managed properly. We handle reports as respectfully and discreetly as possible but may, under some circumstances, be required by law to make disclosures.
 BAM staff will help participants contact local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event. We value your participation in our community.

If unacceptable behavior occurs during a scheduled activity or ritual, BAM staff will take any actions reasonably necessary to maintain a welcoming environment for all participants. This may include warning the person who is acting in breach of this policy, asking the person in breach to leave the activity or ritual, or—in appropriate cases—requiring the person in breach to leave the event without a refund, with the possible imposition of sanctions for future events. 

We expect participants to follow these rules at all event venues and event-related activities, including any informal social activities. Remember: your reputation precedes you. If you have a history of harassment reports or “sex pest” behavior either in person or online, we reserve the right to refuse you entry to future events. 

In addition, since BAM has a close working relationship with the Mid-Atlantic Gather, U.S. (MAGUS) and the communities overlap significantly, any incidents and/or bans occurring at BAM will be communicated to the MAGUS staff; this may result in an offender being banned from MAGUS as well.