Our Values

We aim to make space for and support people experiencing marginalization. Our ongoing goal is to make the space better for both our peers and ourselves, and to use our collective power to help make change. Activating the values and behaviors of inclusivity and solidarity can mean:
• Addressing gaps in our own knowledge regarding privilege and oppression when they’re called to our attention, and being willing to hold space for others and learn.
• Respecting the rights of others to define and communicate their identity.
• Resisting making assumptions about our peers’ identity, experiences, or pronouns .
• Actively trying to use the language that others would like us to use to describe them (such as pronouns, names, etc).
• Avoiding singling out one person about their identity (i.e. asking everyone for their pronouns and giving our own in exchange, or not questioning individuals about their heritage based on appearance or affect).
• Making space for others, and being aware of how much space we are taking (i.e. in conversations).
• Listening to people’s boundaries and respecting them.
• Actively resisting language that is racist, sexist, homophobic, classist, cissexist, ableist, xenophobic, islamaphobic, etc.
• Being generous and patient in comments and questions, and in our interpretation of other people’s intentions.
• Acknowledging that each person’s physical and mental health needs are unique, while understanding and respecting individual health boundaries, requests, and wishes.

(Partially adapted from statements and documents by Different Games, QGCon, and CGSA.)

An openness and willingness to communicate freely is key to the health of any community, and Gamerella is no exception. However, in order to empower community members to feel comfortable sharing and communicating about difficult topics, we also need to proactively value compassion, composition and response. Not only should we compassionately evaluate each others’ statements, but we should also compose our initial articulations of those statements carefully and compassionately as well. Basically, think before you speak, but offer each other the benefit of the doubt and a chance to rearticulate.

The basis of accountability and respect is open, conscientious communication. If you feel you’ve said something awkward, it’s good to acknowledge it right away. Similarly, if you feel comfortable addressing something you experienced or observed that was problematic, hurtful or harmful that too is something you may consider responding to immediately, carefully, and compassionately. If you need help addressing a situation, there are options available to you, from informal resolution processes to official university policies (and you can find resources for doing so in the protocols and code of conduct section of this document). It is also okay to decide, if you feel disrespected, that you do not want to offer your energy to trying to resolve it or educate someone about it.