Safer Space

From Noisebridge
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Noisebridge wants to be a Safer Space. We're trying to figure it out all the time. We have something similar to a modern-day code-of-conduct, the Anti-Harassment Policy. This was created into its current form as early as 2014, so its a bit old and feels insufficient in places.

To figure this out, we have the Safer Space Working Group (#sswg in slack). Noisebridge depends on our cultural immune system to drive itself to be the most Excellent version of itself it can be. The space has gone through a number of iterations and changes since the Reboot in mid-2014 where we thought hard about what it meant to be Noisebridge again.

Part of the way we figured out what it meant to be Noisebridge again is by constantly explaining our reinterpretations of Noisebridge to each other. Every weekly meeting has a section of introductions of both participants to Noisebridge and Noisebridge to the participants as a way of facilitating the cultural transmission of the things we value. Also included in the meeting is a discussion about what Noisebridge as a safe space means.

Victoria described Noisebridge as a safe space in slack:

so, to me, Noisebridge as a safe space means that people are welcome to express themselves in whatever manner they see fit provided that it does not infringe on the psychological safety of others. that doesn’t mean that you can’t offend anyone, or discuss explicit subjects if you accidentally offend someone, apologize and work on being a better person. if you’re discussing domestic abuse or similar things that are triggering, give a warning that you’ll be talking about it. that doesn’t mean that you /can’t/ talk about domestic abuse, lgbtq hate, racism, etc. A safe space, to me, means that if you’re going to talk about those sorts of things in detail, let people know that you’re going to talk about it in detail so they can prepare. Consider a trigger warning the same as asking people to put on hearing protection when you’re about to smash some things in the dirty shop. Noisebridge as a safe space should engender that kind of consideration for others psychological safety just as much as one might consider the physical safety of the hackers around you.