In order to champion reading and writing in an accessible and inclusive environment, we ask everyone to adhere to the following Code of Conduct when engaging with WOTS spaces:
- Please be respectful and courteous toward others at all times, including but not limited to WOTS staff, author guests, and other attendees, in any WOTS-hosted space.
- Harassment of any kind, from intimidation to verbal abuse to illegal behavior, will not be tolerated.
- Racism, transphobia, homophobia, xenophobia, ableism, and other discriminatory behaviours are unacceptable at all WOTS-related events.
- Other behaviors, including but not limited to offensive written or verbal comments, harassing photography or recording, and sustained disruption of talks or other events, are inappropriate and will not be tolerated.
- Violation of any of these policies will result in action by the festival team ranging from warnings, to deletion of online comments, to being banned or removed from physical or virtual spaces, including restrictions on attending or participating in future WOTS events.
- Attendees asked to stop any harassing behaviour are expected to comply immediately, and may be required to leave the event.
- If you feel you are being harassed, we respectfully suggest the following: If you feel comfortable doing so, point out the inappropriate behaviour to the person(s) involved. If you do not feel comfortable, please report the situation to a WOTS staff member or volunteer. You will be treated with respect, and your concerns will be taken seriously. All names involved will be kept confidential to the extent possible, but any accused person(s) has the right to know enough details to be able to defend themselves.
- The Word On The Street reserves the right to amend these rules at any time without prior notice, and reserves the right of interpretation of this Code of Conduct.
For further details or to report an incident, please contact the WOTS team: toronto@thewordonthestreet.ca
