About the Participant Agreement & Code of Conduct

IGLYO — The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer & Intersex (LGBTQI) Youth & Student Organisation is the largest LGBTQI youth and student network in the world with over 100 member organisations in more than 40 countries across the Council of Europe Region and an estimated reach of over 3,000 youth activists.

As a youth development organisation, IGLYO builds the confidence, skills and experience of LGBTQI young people to become leaders within the LGBTQI and human rights sectors. Through cross-cultural exchange and peer learning, IGLYO also creates a powerful collective of youth activists across Europe and beyond, who can share strategies and visions, and foster values of international solidarity. Finally, IGLYO ensures the voices and experiences of LGBTQI young people are present and heard by decision-makers at European and international levels.

IGLYO's Manifesto states that we are a "norm-critical, feminist, intersectional anti-racist, anti-fascist, human rights-based, youth-led organisation". IGLYO pushes for greater respect and integration of international human rights principles.

As a participant at an IGLYO event, either online or offline, we ask you to read and carefully consider this document which acts both as a participant agreement and a code of conduct. We are delighted to welcome you to an IGLYO space, and we hope your experience here is positive and meaningful. You can also download the Participant Agreement & Code of Conduct in PDF here​.

Brave Space

IGLYO operates under the principles of a "brave space". We recognise that not all spaces can and will be safe for everyone all of the time, and it is not possible to guarantee a blanket safety for everyone. But we can agree on principles which create a space where participants can grow and learn while their well-being is safeguarded.

At a brave space, we ask participants and organisers to be open and vulnerable, to invite and accept constructive criticism, to be honest, to assume the best intentions of others, and to recognise that uncomfortable conversations can be the catalyst for change. 

Language

While we operate through English, most of the participants attending an IGLYO event will not be native English speakers. It is therefore important to speak clearly and slowly, and be willing to repeat what you have said. It's vital to invest time into understanding one another even if it takes some time and effort. 

Respect

Please give undivided attention to the person who has the floor (permission to speak). When we are passionate about a topic, we might be inclined to interrupt, but try to ensure you do not speak over others. Be aware of how much time you are taking up in a discussion and ensure everyone who wants to speak gets the opportunity; if you've already spoken, ask if anyone wants to take the floor before speaking again and allow a moment of silence to pass to give people a chance to speak up. 

Respect should not be conditional on understanding; if someone has an identity you don't understand, try to lead first with respect, and seek to understand later. 

Look after yourself 

While it's important to give support to others, it's also extremely important to support yourself. Ensure you get enough sleep, water, and food to enjoy the programme. If you are overwhelmed, feel free to remove yourself from the space. Know your own limits so you can stay safe and well. 

Non-judgement 

We foster a sex-positive and non-judgemental environment. We understand that many decisions are personal, and are impacted by many factors. Therefore, we do not judge others for the actions they take which aren't harming others. 

Right to pass & to leave 

You are not obligated to speak or contribute at any point. We can choose to not respond to a challenge. If the discussions that are happening are difficult for you at any time, you are equally not obliged to stay.

Consent and Boundaries 

It's important to respect people's boundaries when it comes to physical touch, topics they do not want to talk about, or personal information. When expressing your own boundaries, ensure you know how you will respond if they are breached; e.g. "I will have to walk away if you keep bringing up this topic." 

Consent and respect of boundaries should be the basis of every interaction. Consent means that a person agrees on something by choice and having both the freedom and capacity to make that choice. Pressuring or blackmailing someone until they say yes to something is not consent.

Zero tolerance for sexual harassment and assault

Sexual harassment is any form of unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature, which violates the dignity of a person and creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.

Sexual harassment can be verbal: sexual jokes and innuendos, compliments about a person's appearance or body, catcalls, spreading rumours about a person's sexual life.

Sexual harassment can be non-verbal: buying someone romantic gifts, blocking someone's path, following someone.

Sexual harassment can be physical: touching someone inappropriately, standing close or brushing up against someone.

Sexual harassment can even include two people speaking about sexual content who are both comfortable with it, but it can create an uncomfortable environment for others around them.

During IGLYO events, sexual harassment is not tolerated in any forms, and we encourage both victims and bystanders to approach IGLYO staff to report instances of sexual harassment, which will be seriously dealt with.

Sexual assault is the sexual touching of a person without their consent. In case of sexual assault, the participant will be excluded immediately from the event and may not participate in any other IGLYO events.

Trigger warnings

Everyone is entitled to share their experiences; the positive and negative. We want to balance your ability to share with the well-being of those listening. A trigger or content warning is a statement made before sharing potentially disturbing content. In order to give a proper trigger warning, you must categorise the potential trigger. For example, Timo is speaking about their experience at home which involves domestic violence, Timo starts with "Trigger warning for domestic violence" and pauses, leaving time for people who do not want to hear the rest to remove themselves. 

Let us know beforehand if you are likely to be triggered by the content. It is not always possible to know what might trigger someone, and if you do accidentally upset someone you can let us know that they might need to be checked on. 

Assumptions

We all walk into a space with conscious and unconscious biases which impact how we interact with others. Often we are unaware of our biases and we do not see how they are impacting our behaviour. Many biases are based on assumptions; we assume we know information about a person based on their gender, religion, nationality, expression, etc. It's always better to respectfully ask than to assume.

Respect and learn pronouns

People use different pronouns as a way of referring to themselves. Don't assume people's gender, and ask about pronouns (such as they, zie, she, he, etc.). Mistakes happen, but we do not tolerate the intentional use of the wrong name or pronouns. If you see someone is using the wrong name or pronouns of somebody else and you feel comfortable, try to correct them.

Apologise

If you have said something that didn't feel right for another participant, just apologise. Sometimes, we all do or say things that are harmful to someone else. Please, avoid understating other people's feelings by saying that it was just a joke or that you did not mean bad. Just say you are sorry and move on. Many times, it can be tempting to say how bad you feel because you messed up or how hard it is for you to get it right. Try to avoid this, as it might make the other person feel responsible for comforting you.

Confidentiality 

Confidentiality covers many different spheres. Everyone is entitled to share their personal stories at IGLYO events, and we should all keep this information confidential. Part of confidentiality also includes taking photos or videos at the event; ensure everyone in a photo/video is happy for it to be shared before sharing it. 

The campsite rule 

In physical space, we follow the "campsite rule", which is to leave a space as you found it: please take your rubbish with you, put caps back on the markers and help reset the space if furniture has been moved if you are able. 

Intent vs Impact 

As has already been stated, we recognise the benefit of uncomfortable conversations and we invite constructive criticism as a part of our growth. If you receive criticism for an action or something you said, it is important to focus on the impact you have had rather than your intent. Impact refers to the outcome of your actions or inactions; intent refers to whether this impact was purposeful or unintended. It's always important to listen to the impact of our actions even if we did not intend them. 

Alcohol consumption and drug use

One of the principles of IGLYO events is non-judgement: we do not judge others for the actions they take which aren't harming others. 

This applies also to alcohol consumption and drug use. Such behaviour is not stigmatised as long as it does not impact your active participation in the event, the wellbeing of other participants and the respect of this Code of Conduct.

Being intoxicated will not represent an excuse or a mitigating factor in case you breach the Code of Conduct.

When it comes to sexual assault, it is important to remind that an intoxicated person is not able to consent, therefore engaging in any sexual activity with a person who is drunk or drugged amounts to sexual assault.

Finally, be aware of the local legislation regarding drinking in public and recreational drug use.

What happens if these guidelines are broken, or if you experience or witness harassment? 

Please let us know as soon as possible if you experience or witness anything which may be in breach of these guidelines. As an organisation, IGLYO is responsible for addressing any complaints about harassment of violence of any kind. Even if you do not want anything done, please still let us know. We can then work with you to figure out if this issue can be dealt with formally or informally as well directly or indirectly. Please see the table and example below. 

Example: Max has let us know that Bob is repeatedly not respecting people's pronouns.