TEAO SAF(ER) SPACES POLICY | JULY, 2021

 TEAO is a diverse group; we understand that historically, culturally, and socially racialized and 2SLGBTQQIA+ folks have experienced marginalization, discrimination, and oppression because of their identities. These include but are not limited to race/ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, socio-economic class, cultural background, religion, spirituality, immigration status, physical embodiment, neurodiversity, and cognitive & physical abilities.

A Safer Spaces Policy is a more realistic approach to working with Trauma in the community. We understand that good intention is not enough to prevent harm and violence. Consciously or unconsciously, anyone can harm others based on their self-location and markers of privilege. We do not presume to be a SAFE space for everyone or guarantee everyone will be safe at every encounter with our allies, community organizations, and members. 

Instead, our offering is a radical commitment toward creating safer physical and mental spaces for all community members, corresponding to their needs. Our offering is to actively minimize barriers present in the community that impacts a person's participation, engagement, and sense of belonging. Lastly, our offering is that we will work through acts of harassment drawing from restorative and transformative justice, accountability, and cultural transparency values to protect each person's mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. 

 We aim to hold space for all community members to engage comfortably, participate freely, use their voices, and access services without fear of being harassed or discriminated against. We will create an accessible space for events and programs to promote an environment of inclusion and comfort. We will work with each person to encourage reflection to grapple with biases and blind spots. Participants and members must come with an openness to explore their impact and how their behaviors affect others.

No one should be personally attacked for their way of being in the world, words, or actions. We will examine someone's words and actions when they threaten our commitment to creating safer spaces as they are concerned with issues of discrimination and harassment.

GUIDELINES FOR SAFER SPACES

HARASSMENT AND COMPLAINT PROCEDURE

A detailed harassment and complaint procedure is being prepared to ensure that any human rights complaint is dealt with in a sensitive, efficient and transparent manner.