10/14/2026
West Plains Pride CODE OF CONDUCT & ETHICS 2026 - In picture & in text.
I. Purpose and Scope
This policy establishes the required standard of conduct for all Board Members, Officers, and General Members of West Plains Pride. Its purpose is to ensure that all individuals representing or participating in the corporation act in a manner that upholds our mission of support, resources, education, and advocacy.
II. Core Behavioral Expectations
All members are expected to:
Uphold the Values Statement: Act in accordance with the established ethical standards and mission of West Plains Pride.
Inclusive Environment: Foster an accessible, affirming, and safe space that prioritizes the well-being of LGBTQIA+ individuals in the West Plains area. Inclusivity means welcoming diverse identities, backgrounds, and lived experiences, while recognizing that members may not always share the same opinions, perspectives, or personal viewpoints. Disagreements must be handled with mutual respect, curiosity, and good faith, ensuring that differences in opinion never compromise another person’s dignity, belonging, or safety.
Expected Standards of Conduct:
Anti-Racism & Racial Equity: Abide by the Corporation’s commitment to proactive anti-racist practices and actively oppose discrimination in all forms. Understanding Anti-Racism: Being anti-racist requires active, conscious efforts to identify, challenge, and eliminate racism, rather than simply claiming to be non-racist. We recognize that LGBTQIA+ liberation is inseparable from racial justice, and that racism directly harms the safety and well-being of LGBTQIA+ People of Color.
Zero Tolerance for Racist Behavior: Explicit slurs, derogatory comments, racially motivated harassment, fetishization, or jokes based on race, ethnicity, or nationality will not be tolerated.
Addressing Microaggressions & Bias: Members are expected to be receptive when implicit biases, exclusionary language, or microaggressions are addressed, prioritizing restorative learning and impact over intent.
Intersectional Inclusivity: Ensure organizational spaces, events, and resources intentionally welcome, amplify, and center the voices and safety of BIPOC individuals within the West Plains area.
Anti-Bullying & Harassment: Strictly refrain from any form of bullying, harassment, intimidation, or cyberbullying, whether occurring in person (at meetings, events, or official functions) or online (via social media, messaging platforms, group chats, or email).
Definition of Bullying: Bullying is defined as any repeated, persistent, or severe intentional act, gesture, verbal remark, written statement, or physical behavior directed at an individual that causes emotional, mental, or physical harm, creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment, or diminishes a person’s dignity. This includes, but is not limited to:
Verbal abuse, insults, name-calling, or public humiliation.
Threats, coercion, intimidation, or stalking.
Cyberbullying, such as targeted online harassment, doxxing, non-consensual sharing of private content, posting false or derogatory claims, or deliberately stirring hostility against a member across digital platforms.
Exclusionary or ostracizing tactics intended to undermine an individual’s participation or standing within the organization.
Respectful Dialogue & Meeting/Event Etiquette: Follow the Community Agreements and maintain mutual respect during all official meetings, events, working sessions, and community functions. Civil, productive discourse and conduct are essential to the collective health, safety, and effectiveness of West Plains Pride.
Affirmative Expectations:
Active and Empathetic Listening: Listen to understand rather than simply to respond. Allow speakers to complete their thoughts without interruption, cross-talk, or dismissive interjections during discussions.
Focus on Issues, Not Individuals: Direct critique toward ideas, motions, and proposals—never toward the personal character, motives, or identity of fellow members or attendees.
Share the Space: Be mindful of conversational equity. Ensure all members have an equal opportunity to participate and contribute.
Assume Good Faith: Approach differing perspectives with curiosity and patience, assuming a shared commitment to the organization’s mission until proven otherwise.
Unacceptable Behaviors at Meetings and Events:
Derailment and Obstruction: Repeatedly speaking out of turn, talking over facilitators, speakers, or other members, or monopolizing floor time to stall, disrupt, or derail official business or programming.
Personal Attacks & Demeaning Language: Using condescending, sarcastic, insulting, or aggressive language directed at another person's intellect, contributions, or character.
Passive-Aggressive or Nonverbal Hostility: Demonstrating disruptive nonverbal hostility, such as aggressive posturing, eye-rolling, scoffing, or audible groaning while others speak or present.
Disruptive Side-Channels & Harassment: Engaging in private side-chat harassment, derogatory texting, or hostile whispering during proceedings or events to undermine a speaker, volunteer, or attendee.
Refusal to Comply with Order: Refusing to yield the floor or follow instructions when ruled out of order by the facilitator, chair, or event lead, or creating continuous disturbances that impede the organization's business, events, or community safety.
III. Online and Social Media Interaction
Members, particularly Board Members and Officers, are seen as ambassadors of the organization.
• Official Representation: The Media and Community Liaison is the de facto representative who may speak officially on behalf of the Corporation on social media. Other Board Officers may also speak on behalf of the Corporation, provided they inform the Media and Community Liaison at the time of official posting or commenting.
• Board & Officer Personal Social Media Conduct: Because Board Members and Officers serve as the public face and leadership of West Plains Pride, their public conduct is held to a higher standard of professionalism. Board Members must conduct themselves professionally and responsibly on their personal social media accounts. Posts, comments, or shared content must not include hate speech, harassment, discriminatory statements, internal organizational disputes, or content that diminishes community trust or damages the reputation and legal standing of West Plains Pride.
• General Member Personal Social Media Leniency: General Members are granted wide personal leniency to express their private viewpoints, humor, and personal lives on their personal social media accounts. However, this leniency ends if a member’s personal post, comment, or public digital behavior directly references the organization, reflects poorly on West Plains Pride, compromises community safety, or violates the core non-discrimination, anti-racism, or anti-bullying provisions of this Code of Conduct.
• Constructive Engagement: When interacting on West Plains Pride digital platforms, members must remain respectful and avoid inflammatory, exclusionary, or harassing language.
• Confidentiality: Strict confidentiality regarding the private information of volunteers, contributors, and members must be maintained across all digital platforms.
• Permissions: No member’s private information or name shall be disseminated via social media without prior written permission, coordinated through the Media Liaison and Secretary.
IV. Conflict Resolution and Grievances
West Plains Pride utilizes a structured procedure to handle disputes fairly, impartially, and transparently:
Reporting: All formal complaints, grievances, or reports of conflict (occurring online, in person, or during official functions) concerning the Corporation or its members must be submitted via email directly to [email protected].
Acknowledgment of Receipt: Official written notification acknowledging receipt of the grievance will be issued to the filing party within seventy-two (72) hours of the email being received.
Initial Assessment & Mediation: The Community Accountability Officer (CAO) will conduct an initial review and attempt informal mediation and restorative dialogue in accordance with the official Conflict Resolution Protocol, provided all parties consent.
Escalation to Grievance Committee: If informal mediation fails, is deemed inappropriate for the severity of the offense, or involves a direct conflict of interest, the matter shall be referred immediately to the General Membership Grievance Committee.
Role of the CAO & Committee Oversight:
The CAO oversees the grievance process, facilitates administrative logistics, ensures adherence to all established timelines and protocols, and serves as the non-voting liaison between the parties, the committee, and the Board.
The CAO does not cast a vote or participate in determining the outcome; all final decisions are made solely and exclusively by the General Membership Committee.
Committee Composition:
General Membership Committee shall consist of three (3) General Members and 1 alternate in good standing who do not hold an Officer or Board position
General Membership Committee members must be completely impartial and free from conflicts of interest regarding the parties or issues involved. If a conflict of interest arises, an alternate will step up.
Committee members' identities will be kept anonymous from the board and general community.
Review & Hearing Procedure:
Under CAO coordination, the grievance review process will be conducted with strict neutrality through a blind review system:
Party Anonymity and Redaction: The identities of both filing party (complainant) and the party named in the grievance (respondent) will remain completely anonymous to the Grievance Committee. Prior to committee distribution, the CAO will redact all names, personal identifiers, and distinguishing details from all submissions, records and evidentiary materials.
Review of Documentation: The Committee will review all relevant, redacted documentation and evidence submitted in connection with the matter.
Opportunity to Present Statements: Both parties will be provided an equal opportunity to present their formal written statements and rebuttals to the Committee. All statements will be submitted through the CAO to ensure appropriate redaction before committee presentation.
Confidentiality: All proceedings, submissions, deliberations, and hearing records will remain strictly confidential.
Resolution Timeline & Final Determination:
A final, binding determination and resolution must be delivered within thirty (30) days from the initial 72-hour acknowledgment response.
The General Membership Committee holds sole, final decision-making authority, with rulings decided by majority vote (at least 2 out of 3 committee members).
The Committee’s written decision may include mandatory remedies,behavioral corrective plans, or formal disciplinary actions against a Board Members, Officers, and/or General Members of West Plains Pride (up to and including removal of a board member or community member revocation including being removed from West Plains Pride social media and events) which the Board and Corporation are obligated to execute without alteration.
V. Consequences of Misconduct
Failure to adhere to this Code of Conduct is taken seriously.
Board Members/Officers: Violation of this policy constitutes a failure to fulfill the duties of office and is grounds for removal following the procedure in Article IV.
General Members: Misconduct that compromises the Corporation’s mission, reputation, or community safety may result in disciplinary action (including temporary removal from meetings/events, suspension, or termination of membership) as determined by the final ruling of the General Membership Grievance Committee.
