The following statement has been adapted from the Conference Code of Conduct; Le Reset’s La Charte; University of Utah Department of Communications’ Anti-Racist Code of Conduct; National Women’s Studies Association’s Code of Ethics; Canadian Games Studies Association’s Statement of Diversity, Inclusivity and Anti-Oppression; Digital Games Research Association (DIGRA)’s Code of Conduct; Geek Feminism’s Code of Conduct; Technoculture, Art and Games (TAG)’s Protocols & Code of Conduct; and Gamerella & TAG’s Inclusive Game Jam Guide.
TL;DR
We understand that some issues can be complex and that it can be difficult to educate oneself about different realities. We believe however that everyone can easily show a minimum of respect in their interactions. Don’t spread hate bits, it’s really not that hard!
Introduction
The Game history symposium series advocates for the presence and contributions of all people, regardless of gender identity or expression; sex; age; sexual orientation; culture; abilities; health condition; marital, domestic, or parental status; nationality; physical appearance; body size; neurodiversity; race; ethnic origin; language; religion (or absence of religious beliefs); disciplinary background; socioeconomic status; or technological preferences. It also recognizes that all systems of oppression occur in tandem and intersect—whether it be sexism, racism, classism, ableism, homophobia or transphobia, among others.
Prejudice, oppression, and discrimination are detrimental to the values and purpose of any community. The Game history symposium is made up of diverse people, and this diversity enriches the experiences of all participants. It is the responsibility of all to ensure that this conference is a safe and collegial space that provides mental and physical security for all.
Be mindful of and take responsibility for one’s speech and behaviour
This includes but is not limited to:
- respecting other participants at all times;
- being generous and patient in comments and questions;
- listening to others and being careful not to dominate discussions;
- not making assumptions about people’s identity, experiences, or pronouns;
- using inclusive language and not using language that is racist, sexist, heterosexist, homophobic, classist, cissexist, casteist, ableist, etc.;
- not deliberately misgendering or using ‘dead’ or rejected names;
- be aware of your own privilege(s) and prejudice(s) and humbly accept respectful corrections (or humbly correct yourself);
- be conscious that exclusionary behaviour can both be intentional and unintentional;
- avoid instances of microaggressions, microassaults, and microinsults as much as possible and do not hesitate to call attention to them or to let us know if you are a victim of or witness such instances;
- respect people’s physical and emotional boundaries, regardless of your intentions. This implies modifying your behaviour when someone signals that you are making them uncomfortable;
- do not divulge the personal information of participants (username, outings, doxing, etc.);
- refrain from asking personal questions unless given explicit authorisation;
- keep in mind that everyone is at different stages of learning and unlearning. Give people the space and opportunity to grow and learn.
Anti-harassment
We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Harassment includes offensive verbal comments, using objectionable epithets, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, unwelcome sexual attention, threatened or actual physical harm or abuse, or other intimidating or insulting conduct directed against any individual. Everyone participating in the conference must collaborate in order to provide a safe and enjoyable space. Please be respectful at every moment in your interactions.
Specificity for online conferencing
This code of conduct applies whether the symposium is held in-person or remotely. Participants are expected to be mindful of others both in person and in online interactions with presenters and other participants. We acknowledge that online discrimination is as damaging as any other forms of discrimination and conference organisers take it very seriously.
Nevertheless, online conferencing has some specificities, namely issues of privacy and screen fatigue. As such, we encourage participants to engage in whichever way they feel comfortable.
Participants are encouraged to:
- choose to keep their camera and/or microphone off or turning them off if participants need to take breaks.
- ask questions using the microphone or write them in the chat
- choose whether their question(s) are asked anonymously or not
- contact conference organisers or to talk with panel moderators if they need any accommodation, have any concerns, or simply have questions.
In addition, if you attend an online version of the symposium, we ask participants to either be located in a private space or, if you need to be in a public space, to ensure that presentations and Q&A sessions cannot be overheard by non-participants. As well, please keep your microphone off during presentations in order to avoid disruptions. Finally, recording presentations without explicit consent from presenters is strictly forbidden.
If you have any comments or concerns regarding this statement, if you experience marginalizing or silencing behaviour during the conference, or if you are being harassed or notice that someone else is being harassed during the conference, please reach out to a conference organizer or email us at gamehistorysymposium@gmail.com. If you want to discuss an issue regarding the organization committee, you can get in touch with jeromemillette@gmail.com (president, MEDIIAS student association).