Creating an inclusive and supporting community requires respect, compassion, and patience. These guidelines reflect a desire to create a safe and comfortable space for all our community members.

Please Do

1. Respect the Space: Keep conversations and interactions respectful, friendly, and inclusive.
2. Be Kind and Welcoming: Greet new faces warmly and be supportive of others. Aim to make everyone feel included and valued.
3. ⁠Embrace Diversity: Celebrate and respect the differences in identity, background, and experiences among members.
4. Listen and Communicate Thoughtfully: Give others space to speak, and engage in open, constructive dialogue without interrupting or judging.
5. Practice Consent: Always ask for and respect others’ boundaries, whether in physical interactions or personal conversations.
6. ⁠Stay Positive and Solution-Oriented: Focus on fostering a supportive environment where members can connect, learn, and grow together.

Please Don’t 

1. Disrupt or Intrude: Avoid frequently interrupting an ongoing conversation to shift the topic to yourself or something different. Instead, try contributing to the current discussion or wait for the right moment to change topics. When in doubt, ask! 
2. Spam or Post Off-Topic Content: Refrain from posting repeated off-topic messages or links that do not benefit the community. Too many messages in a short period of time can overwhelm group members, especially if that triggers too many chat notifications.
3. Oversexualize the Environment: Don’t oversexualize yourself or other members. We want to make people feel comfortable – including talking about sex – but that means respecting boundaries. Remember people have different comfort levels.

How We Moderate Online Communities

The moderation committee will be responsible for managing the chat rooms, ensuring rules are followed, and taking action when necessary.  Actions of the moderation committee will be reviewed by the board.

• First infraction of any rules results in a warning.
• Second infraction will result in 24-hour bans.
• Third infraction will result in a permanent ban from the community.