UC Merced Cultural Center Guidelines
Section D: Guidelines to Avoid Re-victimizing
We want this to be a space in which historically and continually marginalized student of color, which include their intersectional identities as womxn, income-insecure, LGBTQ+, non-binary, gender non-conforming, differently abled-bodied, international, immigrant, non-traditional students, etc. can feel safe expressing themselves, their lived experiences, knowledges, without being the target of oppression. We commit to remaining conscious of our own positionality in this space.
- We do not engage in violence of threats towards each other. Hate speech is not tolerated
- We respect everyone’s names, pronouns, identities, expressions and experiences. We avoid making assumptions and understand that no one is required to share information about their identities or experiences or have the burden to educate others about their identities or experience(s).
- Always seek active consent and agreement of all peoples prior to verbal, emotional, spiritual, physical, sexual and personal contact
- We obtain explicit consent for contact, touch, or using others’ belonging
- We recognize and acknowledge that certain behaviors can be triggering for individuals, such as trivializing or dismissing someone’s thoughts or experiences
- Respect and look after the room and its objects, as physical resources for our healing
- We commit to hearing each other and creating opportunities for all to be heard. We accept a shared responsibility to hold ourselves and one another accountable to these agreements, through intentional calling in
- We promote inclusive learning spaces. What we learn here, can leave here. We encourage anyone who is feeling less than familiar with terminology, concepts, or context to ask questions in the spirit of personal growth
- We agree to care for ourselves, each other, our communities and for the environment, acknowledge that we are on indigenous land (Turtle Island).