We are aware that systemic racism and structural racism impacts the experiences of People of Color in all circumstances, including at events like Kinky Salon. Explicit, physical and psychological, interpersonal, subtle, and unconscious racism can be reflected in attitudes, conversation, actions, decor, and behaviors that work in reinforcing ways and can result in negative experiences for People of Color attending our events.
Our core principles include diversity and inclusivity, and it is our responsibility to do more. We understand that the work of anti-racism is lifelong work, and we are committed to doing that work. As a community, we condemn all racial, national and cultural bias, prejudice, racism, and marginalization of People of Color. We address racism head on to accelerate change in our community and therefore in our culture.
Our Policies
We are continually developing, clarifying, improving, and reaffirming our anti-racist policies and always welcome your feedback. This is where we stand:
Inclusivity is mandatory
We are committed to People of Color holding positions in:
- Leadership roles
- Core teams
- Performers both on stage and interactive
- Greeters and door staff
- Photos on our websites
Cultures should never be themes for our events
We understand that this can sometimes be subjective, and attitudes can be different in different cities, but we commit to calling each other out if we see it, and responding to feedback from our guests if they see it. We acknowledge that in the early days of Kinky Salon we were not aware of this, and we made mistakes. This also includes:
- Imagery on flyers
- Themes and dress codes
- Acts in the cabaret
- Interactive performances
- Costumes of guests
When addressing issues, if a Person of Color may be involved, we take into consideration bias being a contributing factor
We strive to be aware of the subtle (and not so subtle) prejudices we hold.
- Membership applications are never declined because of physical features.
- When faced with accusations of guests “not liking the look” of someone at events, or feeling they seem “out of place,” we examine prejudices that guests might have on a conscious or unconscious basis.
We acknowledge the historical deadly consequences to Men of Color, Lesbians of Color and Trans-women of Color after being accused of sexual assault including rape (or entrapment) by white women and cisgender men, using this as leverage for power
- While our process will always be victim centric, this dynamic will be taken into consideration when reviewing any complaints involving People of Color regardless of gender
- We have extra compassion and patience for any strong emotions that might come up during a process of behavioral review.
We acknowledge that the experience of sexual liberation can be different for People of Color
- All team members commit to continually educating themselves so that they can have better empathy and understanding for the experience of all People of Color in our community.
- We open avenues for communication and we listen and learn from the People of Color in our community.
We commit to educating our community and improving the culture and environment for People of Color via:
- Communication of these policies
- Workshops
- Art / performance
If you want to learn more about anti-racism we recommend these books as a great place to start.