New Orleans DSA Chapter Code of Conduct

Scope

This Code of Conduct applies to all New Orleans DSA spaces, events, platforms, and group work, both physical and digital, and to all people interacting within those spaces, including general members, elected or appointed leadership, and guests of members.

What makes a good organizer?

• A willingness to listen to and consider a variety of perspectives
• A focus on building support for their ideas & bringing others on board
• A commitment to presenting a positive vision and promoting solidarity
• A desire to debate ideas and positions and demonstrate gracious acceptance after being proven wrong or out-voted
• An ability to work across differences and build coalitions to achieve our goals

Shared Principles

Comradely greeting, engagement, and disagreement

•  We are never going to win socialism without building relationships, and building a welcoming chapter is crucial to our success. When you’re at a meeting or event, introduce yourself to people you don’t know. We all have to navigate our own comfort levels, and there’s no requirement to be an extrovert, but we can all do our best to make new organizers feel welcome.
• While it’s important to build solid organizing relationships and bonds, that doesn’t mean you have to be friends with every person in our chapter. Even more importantly, you don’t have to share politics with everyone in our chapter. We are expected and encouraged to engage each other critically and disagree when appropriate. Comradely engagement and disagreement means that you take the other person in good faith, avoid personal or ad hominem attacks, and let the conversation end when you’ve reached an impasse or been democratically defeated.
• Our work is hard and often faces strong opposition. Maintaining optimism can sometimes be difficult, but positivity and clarity can fuel our efforts more than pessimism and nihilism. Excessive complaining about our opponents can distract from productive work or dissuade new members from participating. Sometimes it is important to ask “What are the goals and solutions we stand for?” instead of “What are we against?”

Evolving politics

• There is no one “right” way to build socialism, and no definitive list of readings or actions that make you a “real socialist” or more qualified organizer. Engagement in this shared political project is a commitment to growth, evaluation, and evolution.
• Members should seek to become better at all actions they pursue with the assistance of the chapter and never assume that they have arrived at a “final” position within the chapter or in socialist theory of knowledge. There is always more to learn about our environment, our communities, and other individuals. We can all teach each other and challenge each other.
• We are all at different stages of learning tactics and theory. You are invited to participate in discussion honestly and openly without fear that unfamiliar concepts or histories will invalidate your role in the group.
• Not all areas of disagreement will be resolved, but they shouldn’t be obscured—we encourage healthy debate.

Commitments, communication, and care

• Let comrades know if you can’t attend or participate for a sustained period. If you can’t meet your commitments, ask other comrades to help pick them up.
• If you haven’t heard from a comrade in a while, check on them. We are not only organizing with each other, we also want to care for each other.
• Members show respect by making themselves aware of the workload that needs to be completed. Members are expected to respect the time, energy, and personal boundaries of other members as well as the democratically-decided priorities of the chapter, the boundaries of the chapter, our meeting spaces, and themselves.

Respectful discussion

• Respectful discussion governs not only the substance of our comments, but the structure of our conversation. It is important to contribute your opinions and knowledge to a discussion, but, just like you would in an organizing conversation, know when to step up and when to step back.
• Assume the best of your fellow members
• W.A.I.T.—ask yourself “Why Am I Talking?” Consider signaling agreement through nodding or snapping instead of commenting “I agree,” or paraphrasing what someone else just said.
• Respect the principles of Progressive Stack by leaving space for the voices that have not yet spoken and/or are marginalized in our wider society.
• Be receptive to feedback. Trust your comrades’ perceptions of your communication style, even if they do not match your intent.

Continual, non-escalating correction (where appropriate)

• We all come from different backgrounds, tendencies, habits, and norms. Part of our gathering together is to create a collaborative space where we learn as we go. If conflict arises in our online or physical spaces, a quick course correction will acknowledge the conflict, affirm our shared values, and move on. We can all model comradely behavior for each other, and providing clear yet non-aggressive correction to an oblivious or offensive remark can teach others how to be more inclusive participants and organizers.
• Examples:

• Someone makes a joke at a comrade’s expense during a meeting. The meeting facilitator says that everyone is to treat others with respect.
• Someone says that their pronouns are “obviously” she/her. A comrade says “No one’s gender identity is obvious, and we start our meetings by affirming current pronoun usage.”
• Someone complains in a Slack thread that something is “r***rded” and the next person says “We do not tolerate ableist language.”
• Someone says “We all know that everyone Uptown is a WASP,” and a person responds, “That’s where I live, so please don’t make assumptions.”

• If you’re aware of tension with another comrade, work to address it directly with them. If you’re aware of tension between comrades which doesn’t include you, be proactive about encouraging one or both to work through tension.

Respect Spoken and Unspoken Boundaries

We want our chapter to be a space where members and guests feel welcome, comfortable, and respected. We cannot anticipate each member’s personal history, family background, work experiences, likes and dislikes. Our task must be to create and facilitate a culture where people respect both spoken and unspoken boundaries. As we build and perfect our collective, we should attempt to be mindful of personal boundaries and respectful dynamics.

All invitations between comrades are assumed platonic. Our chapter culture requires trust between organizers, and especially requires a culture where new organizers feel comfortable meeting one-on-one with existing organizers. Setting the cultural expectation that all invitations between comrades are platonic helps newer organizers know what to expect and empowers them to know what is and is not “normal organizing behavior.”

We acknowledge that the work of organizing together can build strong friendships and sometimes romantic interest. However, it is important to remember that enthusiasm and attention can often be misread as flirtation or that openness and affection do not always indicate an attraction. To express romantic interest in a comrade, you should explicitly ask if they would like to go on a date with you. Use the words “a date” so it is clear that you are not seeking a platonic meeting. If the person declines, even with a softer response like, “I can’t tonight,” “I’m busy,” “Oh, that’s sweet of you,” “I’m flattered,” accept that as “No,” and do not ask again.

Here are some examples of behavior that is mindful of spoken and unspoken boundaries:

• Announce when you are taking a group photo, and especially if it will be posted online and allow people to step out of the shot.
• You see a comrade who you have hugged before, but when you arrive, they put up a hand and shrug slightly. Instead of advancing toward an embrace, you wave and smile.
• A newcomer is at the meeting, and you introduce yourself. They shake your hand, but don’t make eye contact. Instead of continuing to try to catch the person’s eye, you say you are happy they made it, and ask if there are any questions you can answer about the chapter.

Social Spaces

Online Spaces and Digital Communication

We treat all behavior online as seriously as we do behavior in our physical meeting and event spaces.  Any behavior or communication that would be considered harassment in person or via any other channel is likewise not to be tolerated on Slack, on chapter social media accounts, or through chapter email accounts.

It is your responsibility to maintain the trust and confidentiality needs of other members online. Slack, though at most a semi-private channel of communication, is a place where members feel free to discuss matters they may not wish to share in public. Please treat the contents of these discussions—both in the open channels and in private messages—as privileged. Unless given explicit permission from the member, refrain from publishing identifiable private conversations, publicly posting unredacted screenshots, or otherwise connecting members’ social media accounts or identifying personal information with their Slack posts.

See our New Orleans DSA Slack Guide and Guidelines for Respectful Discussion on Slack for more information.

Inappropriate and Unproductive Behavior

The following behaviors will not be tolerated. We strive to “call in, not call out,” but depending on the severity or frequency of the behavior, it may be grounds for discipline, including temporary suspension from participation or expulsion from the chapter.

• Harassment, unwanted touching, excessive attention/staring, verbal or written insults, objectification, aggressive or repeated sexual or romantic advances, invasions of privacy and space, intimidation and stalking.
• Using ableist language, pejorative terms or slurs (intentionally or unintentionally)
• Stereotyping and making assumptions about other individuals
• Speaking down or condescending to someone
• Excluding someone from activities or organizing work based on race, class, gender, and other factors.
• Intentionally undermining, harming, or sabotaging organizing efforts as part of a targeted personal attack or in a direct attempt to damage the organization.
• Ignoring or directly defying chapter-wide policies or protocols.
• Interpersonal behavior that makes individuals or multiple people feel explicitly unsafe or uncomfortable.
• Physical violence or threat of physical violence toward another member.
• Intentional and sustained disruptions of conversations and meetings.
• Recording or sharing members’ personal information, including photos, video, personal communications or personally identifying information, without consent.
• Misuse of chapter resources, such as misappropriation of funds or materials and misuse or unauthorized access or use of chapter communications or data.
• Members are not limited in their ability to publicly identify themselves as DSA members or to articulate their own beliefs as socialists. However, they should not speak publicly or to the press as an official representative of the chapter without permission from the Local Council or membership or misrepresenting the official positions of the chapter.

Harassment and Grievance Policy

In accordance with guidelines from National DSA, our chapter has three appointed Harassment & Grievance Officers (HGOs). Each officer has been trained to respectfully and fairly investigate members’ claims of harassment or grievance against others. This is not limited to sexual harassment, but encompasses all of the behaviors outlined in the previous section.

If you would like to discuss an issue or situation that has made you feel unsafe, harmed, threatened, or harassed, email hgo@dsaneworleans.org, or reach out to Alli DJ, Dylan K, or Logan Y. HGOs are always willing to listen and discuss. All discussions—through any mode of communication—are kept confidential.

If you want to file a grievance, HGOs will take your report and notify the offending member(s). If the subject of the grievance disagrees with the nature or facts of the complaint, HGOs undertake an investigation to the best of their ability and make recommendations to the Local Council for the course of action in a private meeting.

Based on the evidence and information provided by the HGOs, Local Council will vote on what disciplinary or restorative action should be taken.

Resources

Nonverbal Communication

Report on Technology-Enabled Coercive Control
Knowing When to Step Up and Step Back