Keycon Code Of Conduct

NOTE: UNDER REVIEW

Behaviour at Keycon

Keycon makes the provision of safety for all of its members paramount. Any action which threatens the safety of anyone during the convention by a convention member or by an outsider to a member of Keycon will be dealt with promptly. This may include: revoking of memberships, banning from future conventions, and police action where appropriate.

Keycon welcomes members from diverse communities. Any action that negatively targets individuals based on their gender, sexuality, race, creed, religion, etc., will NOT be tolerated.

Keycon expects its members to behave in a civilized fashion and to treat each other respectfully. Additionally, the hotel is not dedicated completely to our use for the weekend. Members of the general public stay in and visit the hotel to dine and socialize. Please be considerate of both attendees and non-attendees at all times.

Harassment and Other Incidents

Harassment is NOT tolerated. Harassment is generally any behaviour that alarms or annoys another person or group. This includes: unwanted physical contact (including non-consensual hugs), following a person or group without a legitimate reason, threatening to physically attack someone or using hate speech. Some of these things can occur unintentionally, but persistent unwanted behaviour will be considered harassment. If you are unsure if your presence or behaviour is wanted or appropriate, then ask, or stop and seek advice from someone else. If you approach someone and they tell you “no” or “leave me alone”, your business with them is done. If you do not leave them alone as they have requested, then your behaviour becomes grounds for a harassment complaint. That you did not mean to alarm them in the first place no longer matters.

Please report any incidents in which a member of the convention is: abusive, insulting, intimidating, bothersome or acting in an unsafe or illegal manner. Keycon reserves the right to revoke, without refund, the membership of anyone for any reason, including harassment. Persons violating the law will be turned over to the police or hotel security.

Any assault is considered a criminal matters and will be treated as such.

Reporting an Incident

All incidents and issues fall under the responsibility of Keycon Operations (Ops). Ops functions out of room 1510 and can be contacted 24 hours a day during the convention. A member of Ops and/or the volunteer committee will be available throughout the convention. Ops phone numbers are posted at the entrance to all elevators and in bathrooms throughout the convention space as well as on the door to 1510. Ops members will wear distinguishing emblems and will be easily identifiable.

If someone has become too boisterous or needs an escort to a room or taxi, these are the individuals to call. Ops will also respond to any incidents where this code of conduct has been violated. If you cannot find a member of Ops, we encourage you to seek out a member of the Convention staff (wearing convention committee ribbons on their badges), or the panel or hospitality room coordinator. These members will ensure that you are put in touch with Operations promptly.

When you report, please discuss the incident with Operations. If appropriate, they will attempt to resolve the issue informally, on-site. If that is not appropriate, they will ensure that you are in a safe place and resolve how best to proceed. If, for any reason, you cannot or do not wish to speak to a member of Ops, please speak to any Con-Comm member or Senator, and they will do their best to assist you in seeking help. For more serious or on-going matters, or for matters that do not need to be resolved at the Convention, we will either write out a statement for you to approve and sign, or ask you to write out your own complaint.

If you are reporting after the Convention, or following-up an earlier complaint, the same general structure applies. Report to Operations, or to the Con-Chairs. If you are unsatisfied with the response from the Convention Committee, you can make a complaint to the WinSFA Senate for reconsideration.

Members of the Convention staff will respond and intervene in the event of a sexual assault and to protect your rights. If this occurs, we encourage you to report the assault as soon as possible afterwards. A member of the convention will ensure that you are safely escorted to the police or hospital of your choosing and without judgement.

Please note that Keycon staff only have a responsibility to respond to incidents that occur on Convention space. That means: in the hotel, in programming or common space, and on the 15th floor activity space. It does not include private hotel rooms. We cannot be responsible for private disputes between people that occur around the Convention. However, we are prepared to assist anyone in need. We also reserve the right to take any appropriate steps involving anyone whose attendance at Con may endanger the well-being of other members, including removing them from the Convention or contacting the appropriate authorities.