Code of Conduct

We aspire to create a safe, inclusive, supportive and harassment-free environment that enables people to be their best selves.

We expect everyone who uses our physical or online spaces—whether they’re a member, guest or program participant—to follow this Code of Conduct.

Anyone who violates this code of conduct may be sanctioned or expelled at the discretion of the program directors and admins.

Responsibilities

Be polite and friendly. If you may have misunderstood something, gently ask for a clarification. Respect others when they do the same.

Be open and honest about your intentions. Assume others are doing the same.

Respect people’s privacy. If someone wishes to be left alone, please respect that.

Respect people’s identities and life experiences, they will be different from yours.

Own your actions. Ensure that your behavior does not have a negative impact, regardless of intent. If you have wronged someone, take care to make amends. Know that acceptance and forgiveness is not owed to you.

Look out for others. Create boundaries to your own behavior and consider how you can create safe space for others.

Unacceptable Behaviors

If you are unsure if something is appropriate behavior, it probably isn’t. Each person you interact with can define where that line is for them. Impact matters more than intent. Anyone asked to stop any harassing behavior is expected to comply immediately.

Harassment includes (but is not limited to):

Offensive comments related to age, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, socioeconomic status or background or clothing.
Referring to people in a way that misidentifies their gender and/or rejects the validity of their gender identity; for instance by using incorrect pronouns or forms of address (misgendering).
Physical contact and simulated physical contact (eg, textual descriptions like “hug” or “backrub”) without consent or after a request to stop. Unwelcome sexual attention.
Gratuitous or off-topic sexual images or behavior.
Deliberate intimidation, threats of violence, or incitement of violence towards any individual, including encouraging a person to commit suicide or to engage in self-harm.
Stalking or following. Continued one-on-one communication after requests to cease. Constant private messaging to pick people’s brains rather than having open conversations in public channels
Harassing photography or recording, including logging online activity for harassment purposes.
Publication of non-harassing private communication.
Microaggressions, which are small comments or questions, either intentional or unintentional, that marginalize people by communicating hostile, derogatory, or negative beliefs.
Retaliating against anyone who files a formal complaint that someone has violated these codes or laws.

Orbital prioritizes marginalized people’s safety over privileged people’s comfort. The administrators will not act on complaints regarding:

“Reverse”-isms, including “reverse racism,” “reverse sexism,” and “cisphobia”.
Reasonable communication of boundaries, such as “leave me alone,” “go away,” or “I’m not discussing this with you.”
Communicating in a “tone” you don’t find congenial.
Criticizing racist, sexist, cissexist, or otherwise oppressive behavior or assumptions.

Reporting

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, immediately contact the admins:

Via Email: help@orbital.nyc
Anonymously: https://forms.gle/YSsf8asTybjbJQxy8

We will respect confidentiality requests for the purpose of protecting victims of abuse. At our discretion, we may publicly name a person about whom we’ve received harassment complaints, or privately warn third parties about them. We will not name harassment victims without their affirmative consent.

We reserve the right to reject any report we believe to have been made in bad faith. Reports intended to silence legitimate criticism may be deleted without response.

Acknowledgements

We are greatly appreciative of the multiple sources from which we’ve borrowed heavily, including: