Rules · The Society

1. Foundational Rule

Participation in The Society is voluntary. Membership never creates entitlement to another member's attention, information, image, presence, affection, conversation, physical contact, or participation.

Consent, privacy, discretion, and respect apply equally online and in person. If protecting the atmosphere ever conflicts with protecting a person, protection of the person takes priority.

2. Rules Applicable Everywhere

Protect Identities

Never reveal, confirm, hint at, or facilitate discovery of another person's Society membership without that person's express permission. Encountering a member outside The Society does not authorize acknowledgment of how you know them.

Protect Society Information

Messages, photographs, profiles, event details, conversations, identities, and personal information may not be disclosed to outsiders or moved into another forum without authorization.

Consent Is Specific and Continuous

Consent to one conversation, photograph, activity, event, or person does not imply consent to anything else. Consent may be withdrawn at any time.

No Means No

A refusal requires no explanation. Uncertainty means stop and clarify. Repeatedly asking after a clear refusal is inappropriate.

Membership Creates No Authority

Founders, Board members, sponsors, veteran members, hosts, and stewards receive no exemption from consent, privacy, or conduct rules.

No Retaliation

Members may decline an invitation, interaction, relationship, or activity without harassment, punishment, threats, or retaliation.

No Outing, Doxxing, Threats, or Blackmail

Society information may never be used to threaten, embarrass, expose, intimidate, manipulate, extort, or retaliate against another person.

Safety Outranks Secrecy

Privacy rules do not prohibit emergency assistance, medical treatment, legal advice, legitimate safety reporting, reporting suspected criminal conduct, protecting oneself or another person, or cooperation with lawful authorities.

3. Online and Element Rules

Society communications should remain on Board-approved platforms whenever practicable. Sensitive discussions should not be casually migrated to uncontrolled platforms.
No screenshots, screen recordings, copying, forwarding, or photographing Society communications without authorization, except when reasonably necessary to preserve a good-faith safety/conduct report or obtain legitimate legal or emergency assistance.
Never share another member's Society profile, username, photograph, biography, room participation, or identifying details without permission.
Society aliases are encouraged. Each member decides when and with whom to disclose their legal identity.
Do not investigate, cross-reference, publish, or circulate another member's outside identity merely out of curiosity.
Do not connect Society identities to social media, employers, family members, addresses, or other external information without permission.
Unsolicited explicit images, video, or sexually explicit direct messages are prohibited. Obtain consent before sending explicit content.
Private messages remain private. Relevant communications may be provided to designated Board personnel for a good-faith safety or conduct report.
Restricted Element rooms are need-to-know spaces. Access to one room does not authorize repeating its contents elsewhere.
Promptly report a lost or compromised device or account when Society information could reasonably be exposed.
Use reasonable device/account security, including device locks, strong unique credentials, supported security features, and sensible notification/privacy settings.
Society accounts may not be shared with spouses, partners, friends, guests, or other unauthorized persons.
Suspension, resignation, or termination results in removal from Society-controlled online spaces. Confidentiality obligations continue after departure.

4. In-Person Event Admission and Privacy

Events are private and invitation-controlled. Invitations are non-transferable unless expressly authorized.
Only approved members and specifically authorized guests may enter restricted Society areas.
Guests are subject to the same privacy, consent, device, and conduct rules as members.
Members may introduce themselves using the name or alias they choose.
No person is obligated to disclose a legal name, employer, home address, relationship status, social-media account, phone number, or other identifying information to another member.
Do not photograph license plates, follow attendees after an event, search belongings, or otherwise attempt to establish another person's identity without authorization.
Attendance at an event may not be publicly confirmed without authorization.

5. Phones, Cameras and Recording

Unauthorized photography, video, audio recording, livestreaming, screen capture, or use of recording-capable devices is prohibited within designated private event areas.

The Board or host may prohibit phones entirely, secure devices at entry, or designate limited phone-permitted areas.
Smart glasses, body cameras, wearable cameras, and similar devices are treated as recording equipment.
Official photography may occur only under clearly communicated rules.
An identifiable person must affirmatively consent before being included in authorized photography or recording.
Consent to one photograph does not create blanket consent for future photography, publication, or sharing.

6. Consent and Physical Boundaries

Ask before touching when consent has not already been clearly established for that interaction.
Previous consent does not create future consent.
A person may stop or leave an interaction at any time.
A person unable to provide meaningful consent because of impairment may not participate in activities requiring consent.
A refusal must be accepted without interrogation, bargaining, ridicule, repeated requests, anger, or retaliation.
Receiving a 'no' gracefully is expected behavior within The Society.
Consent to one person, activity, location, or level of interaction does not imply consent to another.

7. Alcohol, Impairment and Safety

Members remain responsible for their conduct when consuming alcohol.
Hosts and stewards may stop service, restrict participation, arrange safe transportation, or require a person to leave when impairment creates a safety or consent concern.
Illegal drug activity shall not be organized, supplied, or facilitated by The Society.
Medical emergencies take priority over privacy concerns.
No person may use another member's impairment as an opportunity to obtain participation that would otherwise require meaningful consent.

8. Society Stewards

Significant in-person events should designate identifiable Society Stewards responsible for immediate privacy, safety, rule enforcement, and problem-solving. Stewards are not morality police and do not control consensual adult choices.

A member may simply state, 'I need a Steward.' No public explanation is required.
Stewards may separate participants, pause or stop an interaction, address privacy concerns, remove a person, summon medical/security assistance, and escalate matters to the appropriate Board officer.
Stewards protect confidentiality while sharing information necessary to address immediate safety or conduct concerns.
Serious incidents are documented through the approved incident process rather than informal gossip or general member channels.

9. The No-Drama Exit Rule

Any person may leave any interaction or event at any time without providing an explanation to other participants.

Never physically obstruct a person's departure.
Never withhold personal property as leverage to make someone remain.
Never demand an explanation before allowing someone to disengage.
Never retaliate because someone chose to leave.
When appropriate, a Steward may discreetly assist with transportation or safe departure.

10. After-Event Privacy

Do not publicly post identifiable photographs, attendance information, vehicles, names, aliases, or recognizable private-event details without authorization.
Avoid real-time location tagging or posting that could expose an ongoing private event.
Do not gossip about who attended or describe another person's conduct to outsiders.
Members may discuss their own experiences provided they do not identify, expose, or reveal private information about another person.
Do not use post-event communications to pressure another person into continued contact.
Privacy obligations remain after the event and after membership ends.

11. Reporting and Evidence

Good-faith reports of privacy, safety, consent, harassment, threats, retaliation, or other serious conduct concerns should be directed to the designated Board/Conduct channel.
Rules against screenshots, copying, or disclosure do not prohibit preserving relevant evidence for a legitimate safety report, legal consultation, emergency response, or lawful investigation.
Do not broadly circulate evidence; provide it only to persons with a legitimate need to receive it.
Retaliation against a person for making a good-faith report is prohibited.
Knowingly fabricated allegations or deliberate manipulation of evidence may constitute serious misconduct.

12. Enforcement

Depending on severity and circumstances, violations may result in education, warning, restriction of privileges, probation, event removal, temporary suspension, loss of sponsorship privileges, or termination of membership.

Serious allegations involving coercion, violence, credible threats, covert intimate recording, intentional outing/doxxing, blackmail/extortion, or retaliation for legitimate safety reporting may justify immediate temporary access restriction or removal while the matter is reviewed.

Board confidentiality obligations do not prevent affected persons from obtaining medical care, legal advice, emergency assistance, or making lawful reports.