Safety
Getting help
If you need help, if you are injured and require medical attention, if you fear for your safety or feel threatened, or if you would like to make the organisers aware of inappropriate behaviour, contact:
Don’t hesitate: we have your back.
Statement of Intent
We believe in jazz music and dance. We believe in the best throw-down, heart-stopping lindy hop, and that every song should be a solid sender that makes you leap to your feet. We believe that every dancer and musician has a right to good feels.
We are stepping UP. We do not tolerate harassment or bullying, and are actively working to prevent sexual harassment in the swing dance scene.
You are WITH us on this. In joining us on the dance floor or agreeing to work with us as a teacher, DJ, musician, sound engineer, volunteer, performer, or event manager, you agree to treat all participants with care and respect and to abide by our code of conduct. You also accept that young people should to be respected, and minors must be accompanied by an adult.
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Code of Conduct
- There’s room for all of us on the dance floor.
We welcome all dancers and lovers of music regardless of gender/gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, religion, and so on.
- We’re looking out for our peeps.
If you harass someone, you may be asked to leave, you may be banned from other events managed by the organising team, the police may be notified, and this is at our discretion. We don’t have to give you a second chance.
- Talk nice.
Do not use misogynist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, or racist language.
- Your body is important.
Respect the bodies and persons of other people: do not touch without asking permission, stop if someone asks you to stop touching them, and give other dancers space and time alone if they need it.
- Be ok with people saying no.
If you ask someone to dance and they say “No thank you,” be ok with that. Reply, “Hey, no worries - maybe another time!” and move on to ask someone else. No one is obliged to dance with you.
- You can say no.
If someone asks you to dance and you don’t want to, say “No thank you” and leave it at that. If you someone asks you to dance and you do want to, say “YES please!” Nothing is better than enthusiastic consent.
- Play safe.
Don’t pull aerials, lifts, or drops on the social dance floor, but it’s ok in jams and comps. You must have verbal consent from every dance partner before you do lifts, drops, or aerials. Just because you had consent once, doesn’t mean you have it now.
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Alcohol Policy
- Some of our venues are licensed. Please respect this and do not bring your own alcohol.
- If you are drinking, please do not drive - we will call you a cab or arrange a ride for you.
- The legal drinking age in NSW is 18. Supplying alcohol to a minor is illegal, and often plays a role in harassment and assault. It will not be tolerated, and will have you immediately expelled from our venues.
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Sexual Harassment Policy
What counts as sexual harassment?
The Australian Human Rights Commision defines sexual harassment as including:
- Staring or leering
- Unnecessary familiarity, such as deliberately brushing up against you, or unwelcome touching
- Suggestive comments or jokes
- Insults or taunts of a sexual nature
- Intrusive questions or statements about your private life
- displaying posters, magazines, or screen savers of a sexual nature
- Sending sexually explicit emails or text messages
- Inappropriate advances on social networking sites
- Accessing sexually explicit internet sites
- Requests for sex or repeated unwanted requests to go out on dates
- Behaviour that may be considered an offence under criminal law, such as physical assault, indecent exposure, sexual assault, stalking, or obscene communications.
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How does this relate to dancing?
- Harassment is unwanted or unwelcome behaviour (sexual or otherwise) which makes a person feel offended, humiliated, or intimidated.
This means it’s ILLEGAL to hold a dance partner very close if they don’t want to be held.
If someone says they don’t want to dance, and you insist, touching them and pulling them, it is harassment.
Avoid ‘boob swipes’, touching a partner’s bottom, groin, upper legs - you know the deal. If you accidentally do so, apologise immediately. If you do this repeatedly, you will be warned, if not ejected from the event.
- Sexual harassment is not interaction, flirtation, or friendship which is mutual or consensual.
Happy, consensual dances (no matter how close the position) is AOk.
Hooking up at a dance event with a consenting adult is also totally AOk.
- Sexual harassment is a type of sexual discrimination, which is illegal in Australian workplaces, in the provision of employment, education, or accommodation.
This means it’s ILLEGAL to sexually harass your host or hostee, your dance teacher or student, your DJ or sound engineer, volunteer or musician, event manager, MC, or performer.
- We have a legal and moral obligation to actively prevent sexual harassment.
We WILL act immediately on your reports or complaints, and we will warn offenders.
- Sexual harassment can be obvious or indirect, physical or verbal, repeated or one-off, and perpetrated by males and females against people of any sex.
If you aren’t sure, if you think it’s creepy or makes you feel uncomfortable and you want a second opinion, if you see something and you’ve got a hunch ASK for advice.
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How do I avoid sexually harassing someone?
- Ask for verbal consent: “Would you like to dance?” “Would you like a drink?” “Would you like to take a walk?” “Would you like to come back to my place?” “Would you like to have excellent, consensual sex with me?”
- Even if you’ve been given consent before, ask every time, and use your words.
- Be ok with people saying no. “No thank you” is all the answer they need to give.
- Aim for enthusiastic consent.
- Practice giving enthusiastic consent: “YES! I’d LOVE to dance with you!” “I’d love to go for a walk!” “Wow, kissing you would be WONDERFUL!”
- Practice saying no, and practice saying “STOP!”
- If someone says “stop!” - on or off the dance floor - you must stop immediately.
- Pay attention to your dance partners. Be careful not to touch their ‘private’ zones, and take all care to avoid hurting them. Like Frankie said, they are the queen of the world (whether they’re a man or a woman, leading or following).
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