Okay. I want to talk about sexual harassment policy, and what we can do to make the orgs and institutions we're in better.
Having solid, strong, robust sexual harassment policies isn't all we need to do to fight harassment, but it's crucial. It's necessary.
And the process of crafting those policies, or reviewing them, is an opportunity to have a serious discussion about your values and standards.
I consulted with @USStudents a couple of years ago, helping them draft new policies, and I'm really proud of the work they did. It was amazing to watch.
The advice I'm about to give applies most directly to membership-led organizations, activist groups, and non-profits.
These kinds of organizations can be hives of wrongful behavior, and they often have vague policies, or none at all.
So: Six topics to consider when drafting your policy, or to check when reviewing and revising it. Your policy needs to include all six.
First: What behavior is prohibited? Clarity is important. Specificity helps victims know they'll get backup from the group.
What happens if something happens outside organizational space, but involving a member of the group? Is that cause for action, or not?
Second: How do victims report? There needs to be a clear policy explaining your options for taking action if something happens to you.
If someone's new to the group and doesn't know anyone, will your policy encourage them to come forward if something happens?
Establishing (and publicizing) designated reporters at events is crucial. Multiple people, diverse along lines of gender, race, sexual orientation, etc.
And don't just designate people at the start of an event. MAKE IT FORMAL WRITTEN POLICY THAT YOU ARE REQUIRED TO DO SO.
Having formal policies means that people can hold you to account when you screw up, and hold your successors to the same standards.
Multiple people designated as reporters. Multiple ways of contacting them. (Phone, text, face-to-face.)
Make it clear how confidentiality works. Who is notified of reports? Can you address informally without making a formal complaint?
Third: Who is covered by the policy? Guests at your events? Vendors? Conference attendees? Speakers?
What policy is followed if an accusation is lodged against a leader of the group? Or one of the people who has responsibility for adjudicating complaints?
Different roles in the organization may mean different policies, different procedures, different possible outcomes. Cover all the possibilities.
Fourth: How are complaints adjudicated? By whom? According to what procedures? On what timeline? With what rights for accuser and accused?
An important question here is what happens to the accused and accuser while the complaint is being evaluated.
How do you create a safe space for all participants while safeguarding everyone's rights? Robust policies, hashed out in advance, help a lot with that.
Fifth: What are the consequences if someone has been found to violate these policies?
Establishing a range of possible sanctions can be helpful, as can establishing mandatory punishments for some violations.
(When @USStudents re-did their policies, they placed mandatory expulsion for sexual harassment or assault in their organization's constitution.)
Sixth—and this is really important—how do you publicize the policies? You need formal policy on notification about the policy.
At the start of this year's AFL-CIO conference, the president of the union read a conduct policy statement and identified point people from the podium.
Put your policy online. Give it out to board members and conference attendees. Read a statement at the start of every meeting. LET PEOPLE KNOW.
Remember: Publicizing your policies isn't just for possible victims. It's also to put potential perpetrators on notice.
The goal is not to be an organization/movement/space where predators are punished. The goal is to shut predators down.
I said there were going to be six, but there are actually going to be seven. And as @RheaButcher gently noted, #7 should really have been #1.
Seven: Foreground people at greatest risk of harassment and assault when you're creating and implementing your policies.
Creating these policies NEEDS to be a group effort. No one person has the experience and history to construct them in a vacuum.
And if the group crafting the policy is disproportionately white, male, straight, cis, and/or non-PWD? The results will show it.
Gonna quote-tweet two of Rhea's tweets to me here, because they're important. One:
And two:
So yeah. Those are my suggestions. I'm going to write them up in more detail at some point, with links to further advice.
(If you have suggestions for such links, send 'em my way. I've got some, but can always use more.)
If you're disgusted, sad, repulsed, angry right now? This is a thing you can do to make the world—YOUR world—better.
And if there's anything I can do to help you with the process, ping me. My email is in my bio.
Lemon out.
