Diversity and Inclusion

The Orlando 2023 NASFiC bid committee aims to build a community for all fans, and Codes of Conduct (CoC) help to make an inclusive community. With that in mind, please take a moment to review our Code of Conduct and Anti-Harassment Policy.

Codes of Conduct and Anti-Harassment Policies enable, guide, and encourage safe and secure relationships between convention attendees. They help to make conventions a safer space by discouraging anti-social behavior and helping everyone to feel comfortable.

This CoC applies to all Orlando 2023 NASFiC participants, a term which includes Committee, staff, volunteers and members, and all others trading, exhibiting and otherwise participating in the NASFiC. We will also expect those working for the hotels where our activities are taking place to act, and to be treated, in line with the principles of this CoC.

How can I help?

  • Read and follow this Code of Conduct. Ask your friends to read it as well.
  • Support others – if you witness someone who looks like they need help, ask if they’re okay or possibly alert an Orlando 2023 NASFiC Committee member.
  • Ask first! The easiest way to avoid issues is to check before doing something, and it only takes a second.
  • Remember that the attendees of Orlando 2023 NASFiC come from all over the world; cross-cultural misunderstandings can easily happen, so consider this in your humor and interactions, both online and in-person.

Overarching Expectations

Everyone involved with Orlando 2023 NASFiC is expected to show respect towards the convention attendees, venue staff, the general public, and the various communities associated with the convention. This is a family-friendly convention; children will be present at many events and in open spaces, so please consider this in your conduct.

Anti-Harassment Policy

The Orlando 2023 NASFiC Comittee is dedicated to providing a harassment-free convention experience for all attendees, regardless of ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual identity or sexual orientation, neurodiversity, disability, physical ability or appearance, race, age, religion, or fiction/fandom preferences (this list is not exhaustive).

We will not tolerate harassment of convention attendees in any form. Behavior that will be considered harassment includes, but is not limited to

  • Intimidation, stalking, or following
  • Unwelcome physical contact
  • Unwelcome sexual attention
  • Comments directly intended to belittle, offend, or cause discomfort including telling others they are not welcome and should leave
  • Individually photographing or videoing members without their consent
  • Treating cosplay/costumes as consent for unwanted contact or interaction
  • Sustained disruption of talks or other events
  • Sexually graphic or otherwise inappropriate images in public spaces
  • Persistent and deliberate misgendering of other people
  • Attempts to weaponize the Code of Conduct
  • Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior

We require participants to follow the CoC in online interactions with the convention (including the volunteer mailings, wiki, and other online facilities), at all convention venues and convention-related social activities. Attendees who are asked to stop any harassing behavior must comply immediately.

Anti-Racism Policy

Racism is on the rise across all sections of society: in sports and the media, in politics, and in our own fandom communities. The Orlando NASFiC 2023 Comittee is committed to being as close to oppression free as possible, and central to this is our policy on racism, including prejudice, bias, the expression of privilege, aggressions, and microaggressions. This includes contributions made in discussion sessions and also things said to and about other Orlando NASFiC 2023 attendees.

At Orlando NASFiC 2023 we strive to ensure no one is talked over, ignored, or dismissed, and we are committed to making Orlando NASFiC 2023 as accessible as we can to people from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Problems non-white attendees of fandom events often reference include, but are not limited to:

  • Having their lived experiences dismissed;
  • Being expected to be an authority on non-white characters in various fandoms;
  • Being talked down to or assumed to be less knowledgeable about topics being discussed;
  • Having their cosplay negatively critiqued without being asked;
  • A presumption by some members of fandom that people of color do not belong in fandom and that they should not be centered in storytelling;
  • The use of Social Justice Warrior or SJW as a pejorative term meant to demean or belittle the idea of diversity and inclusion in fandom and storytelling;
  • The use of social media to target people of color and allies for harassment and abuse as an outgrowth of their participation in panels, discussions, or when commenting on their participation in fandom
  • Being targeted in person or through social media with acts of aggression, harassment, or retribution for calling out harassers and abusive behavior.

This sort of behavior will not be tolerated at Orlando NASFiC 2023.

Reporting

Before the convention: You can report harassment or other CoC violations by email to [email protected].

At the convention: We will announce an at-convention policy as the con approaches.

At the virtual convention: We will announce a more detailed CoC policy specifically for the virtual con as the con approaches.

What will happen if you make a report?

When you submit a report by email, instant message, or by another means, we will respond to you as quickly as possible, and proceed at their discretion, based on the content, context and wishes expressed in your message.

However you choose to report an issue, you won’t be asked to confront anyone, and we will do our best to protect your identity if we take action as a result of your report. Details of your complaint will only be disclosed to volunteers or Committee members who are dealing with it. We will keep you advised of the progress we’re making in handling the issue, and of any action we decide to take. We will take into account your views when deciding on that action. However, please be aware that, if you report a serious criminal matter, or we believe that you or someone else may be in danger, we may need to contact the police. We would take into account any concerns you may have around involving them.

The Orlando 2023 NASFiC Committee has the right to take any actions needed to keep our convention a welcoming environment for all attendees. Measures taken may include warning the offender, mediating solutions between parties, or taking any other action the team considers necessary, up to and including expulsion from the convention with no refund, at our discretion.

If you wish to take further steps following your report and our response, our team will be happy to help you contact hotel/venue security, local law enforcement, local support services, or otherwise assist you to feel safe for the run-up to and duration of the event. Above all, we want you to feel valued, safe and included at our convention!

Additional Policies

Privacy

We collect your information to allow the convention committee and staff to provide you better services. Your personal information will be kept strictly confidential. We will ask for your consent before sharing your information with anyone outside this convention committee.

We must retain records relating to member registration and financial transactions. Other than this obligation, at a member’s request, we will remove any information about the member from all online systems after the convention.

Member financial payment information, e.g. credit card numbers, does not come to us through online payment systems (PayPal and Square); such information is handled exclusively by the online payment service. Credit card information submitted physically (through a signed credit card slip) is kept secure and is not shared with anyone or used for any purpose other than the membership or other transaction requested by the member

(Credit where it’s due: this Code of Conduct cribs heavily from the DisCon III CoC, which was based on Dublin 2019’s CoC.)