Safety, Consent and Inclusion (SCI) Policy The swing dancing community is a friendly and fun space and group of people. However, as in the rest of society, inappropriate and abusive behaviours can occur. We are not immune to it, but we can do something about it! As with any social situation among adults, we cannot monitor every person's actions, nor can we promise that every person will behave appropriately at all times. However, our organisation is dedicated to providing a safe and comfortable experience for everyone, and this is only possible with your help and cooperation. If you participate in our Friday night dance (and all other events OSDS may organize), we ask that you respect the values below. Dance attendees, volunteers, DJs, musicians, teachers, and organizers violating these values may be warned, sanctioned, or expelled from the dance, without a refund, or banned from future dances, at our discretion. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact osds.safety.committee@gmail.com. If you would like to file an anonymous incident report, click here.
ValuesHave fun
Take care of each other
Be inclusive
Be safe
Reflect on yourself
Reflect on your behaviour, how it might affect others, and how you could improve in order to make the scene (and beyond) a safer place. Be open and receptive when someone tells you that they feel uncomfortable despite your best efforts. Everyone has a different level of comfort: listen to your dance partners and your fellow community members and respect their boundaries, identities, and choices. Be the best person you can be.
Who to talk toIn order to foster a real culture change in our swing community (and beyond), the mutual commitment of all participants to introspection and solidarity in the face of problematic behaviour is essential. The SCI volunteers, committee and the OSDS exec are here to help. The SCI volunteers will be wearing red sashes at the event. If you cannot find a volunteer right away, find a member of the executive, or go to the front desk and they will find one for you.
![]() Made by Rachel McNamara
Prefer to get in touch with us via email? Please do so at osds.safety.committee@gmail.com. SCI volunteers This is a group of people offering to listen to and support participants who need it. They have had training and are comfortable with intervening to defuse tensions and manage conflicts, initiating dialogue and mediation when the situation is appropriate and/or intervening with people who have problematic behaviour.
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Laura Halle Kylie Tara
SCI committee The SCI committee is a subset of the SCI volunteers. It has the mandate of addressing grave, repeated or unresolved complaints, overseeing the general application of the SCI policy, and strategizing to make our dance a safer space. Liz Julie Kofi ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Anne Yuchen
Protocol of intervention
The SCI volunteers and committee will be using this Protocol of intervention to respond to any complaints we receive. We will treat these issues with the strictest confidentiality. We hope to create an event, community and culture in which everyone will feel safe enough to come forward, so we can keep incidents from being repeated and, eventually, from happening in the first place. SCI people are available for discussion and reassurance, not just formal reports. Don’t wonder if something is “serious enough” to come talk to us - if you are uncomfortable, let us know.
We’re here for you! |