CONSENT
Our community takes consent VERY seriously. All interactions between attendees (sexual, or non-sexual) are to be based on communication, consent, and respect. If you haven’t explicitly asked for consent before any type of physical contact/interaction, please do so as this is a non-negotiable. Only an ongoing positive, enthusiastic response means Yes! If you’re unsure about an interaction or feel that the tone has changed, check in with the other party.
If someone is being non-consensual or you are feeling uncomfortable with an interaction and require support, please contact one of the organizers at the event or talk to someone you trust who can speak to us for you. If someone confronts you about your own behaviour, please thank them for stating their boundaries and seek support from an organizer if you want to resolve a misunderstanding.
Consent education is not just to teach people to recognize and challenge non-consensual behaviour, but also to empower folks to learn how to consider if they’re a “yes”, a “maybe” or a “no” to any given interaction as well as to use their voice as they give consent, negotiate boundaries or retract consent. It also teaches us how to address individuals who either require more consent education or illustrate a lack of concern about consent.
Opening circles on December 28th and on December 30th will include an introduction to Intention organizers and consent specialists.
If you need to talk to an organizer about a consent issue, please email consent[at]intentiongathering[dot]org