Copied directly from BarCamp.org/Diversity:
[E]very event that our community has should endeavor to be as open, as inclusive and as accommodating as humanly possible.
It's not entirely clear how one achieves diversity, especially in an event that is anti-invite and open to everyone already. But let's be realistic: being open to everyone doesn't necessarily mean that you've created an inclusive or supportive atmosphere.
We are committed to tackling this problem head-on as a community and to developing strategies for increasing the racial, social, and cultural diversity of KinkForAll participants and the topics we discuss. We're all responsible for how diverse and rich our events are; as a community, we're in the best position to do this. We recognize that the work required to truly make an inclusive and supportive atmosphere is not always easy, but we strongly believe that it is both worthwhile and important. We are currently soliciting ideas for what we could do better to include and involve you, people like you, and people different from you. If you wish to help, please join our mailing list and contribute to our ongoing discussion about diversity, or edit this page with your suggestions, and come add your voice to our growing community.
Please leave your suggestions, experiences or links to external proposals or ideas.
- Ask participants to actively seek out and invite folks who don't fit the "kinky" mold?
Resources
Articles & Blog Posts
- Us versus them - that discusses how insularity and a lack of diversity is perpetuated by adopting an "us versus them" mentality
- BDSM versus Kink - explaining why the word "kink" only means "whips and chains" to people already involved in BDSM, who are only one subset of the larger KinkForAll community
- The Kink in KinkForAll - discusses the usage of the word "Kink" in the name of this community, and why it's important
- Open Source Sex manifesto - "presenting sexuality in a warm, welcoming way that doesn't make people feel shamed about pleasure in whatever form that pleasure takes"
- White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack - introduces the concept of white privilege from the perspective of a white feminist
- (Sex)abled - a 15 minute film which celebrates people with disabilities as sexual beings
- My Opinions on Youth at KinkForAll Unconferences - carefully thought-out approach and guide to discussing the contentious issue of the wide diversity of ages of people who may wish to participate
Ideas
- While promoting a KinkForAll event, be certain to post flyers in diverse geographical places in your locality. If you typically visit a neighborhood full of restaurants, use this as an excuse to go to a bar. Not only might you enjoy the trip, you'll also be reaching out to people you wouldn't ordinarily meet otherwise.
- While giving a presentation at a KinkForAll event, examine the assumptions you have about what other participants might already know, and what they might not know. Avoid assuming that other participants are familiar with what you are doing, or even why you would want to be doing it.
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