General Assembly Participation Covenant

Let us remember our commitment to the worth and dignity of all. The UUA expects all attendees to conduct themselves in a courteous manner with concern and respect for all.

The UUA is dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of all participants. Harassment based on race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, economic class, or employment is strictly prohibited. Sexual harassment encompasses unsolicited remarks, gestures, physical contact, requests for sexual favors, repeated advances after refusal, or any other verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature that creates a hostile environment. Religious professionals must adhere to their codes of conduct to prevent misconduct or harassment. Any GA attendee who experiences harassment should promptly reach out to a chaplain or the Covenant Team for support and assistance.

Practices for Being in Community

We come together in the spirit of building relationships and fostering a beloved community where all voices are valued and heard. It is essential that we remain mindful of power dynamics and committed to creating an inclusive space for dialogue and growth. While no covenant can ensure perfect behavior, our commitment to these practices helps us navigate complex conversations with grace and understanding.

Acknowledge multiple truths: Each of us brings our own perspective and lived experiences to the table. It's crucial to recognize that our words and actions may impact others differently than intended. In cross-cultural interactions, it's essential to honor diverse viewpoints and validate the experiences of others, particularly when they differ from our own. Let us strive to create space for all voices to be heard and respected.

Consider your social location: We each inhabit various social identities shaped by factors such as race, class, ability, gender, sexuality, and age. These identities intersect to influence our experiences of power and privilege. It's important to reflect on our own social location and how it impacts our interactions with others. Those of us with privilege must actively work to amplify marginalized voices and challenge systemic inequities. Let us commit to using our privilege to create a more just and equitable community for all.

Practice care and self-awareness: Engaging in conversations about power and privilege can evoke strong emotions and discomfort. It's essential to approach these discussions with care and empathy, both for ourselves and others. If you hold privilege, be willing to listen, learn, and sit with discomfort without centering yourself. If you hold marginalized identities, prioritize your well-being and know when to disengage from conversations that drain your spiritual energy. Seek out support and accountability from trusted allies within the community. Let us cultivate a culture of compassion and self-care as we engage in the work of building a more inclusive and equitable beloved community.

Together, let us embrace these practices as we strive to create a Unitarian Universalist community where all are welcome, valued, and affirmed in their humanity.

Together In-person

The UUA seeks to maximize accessibility, inclusion, and radical welcome for all who wish to participate in General Assembly. Those who will attend in person are expected be vigilant in self-care and health monitoring, and respectful of the most vulnerable in our community. In-person attendees are strongly encouraged to mask in all UUA spaces. Free masks are available at all registration kiosks, along with color-coded stickers that attendees can use to indicate their comfort level with physical distancing. Those who cannot mask are asked to maintain social distancing and be especially respectful of those around them.

Attendees are asked to refrain from the use of scented personal care products.

Attendees with red lanyards would not like to be in your photo or video; please do your best not to include them in your framing.

Some disabilities, conditions or chronic illnesses are not immediately obvious to others. For some people, this can make it hard to understand and believe that someone, with a “non-visible” condition genuinely needs support. Attendees wearing the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower are just letting everyone know that they might need extra help, understanding, or just more time.

Allow persons using wheelchairs and scooters to exit meeting rooms first. Please leave elevators free for the use of persons using wheelchairs, scooters or those that have difficulty with stairs or fatigue.

As guests of our host city, attendees are asked to extend the same respect and consideration to all with whom they interact, including the hospitality workers who serve them.

Policy on Unscheduled Events Disruptions and Literature Distribution (PDF)

Together Online

General Assembly is the largest annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists. It provides us with the opportunity to build deep connections, worship, engage in faith development, participate in innovative learning and collaboration. Registrants will have access to General Assembly on the Whova event App, a powerful online tool for networking and engagement during GA. It is important that we uphold agreements that support a compassionate, respectful and anti-oppressive environment for all.

As a participant in General Assembly and/or the online platforms designed to enhance communication between participants, I hereby agree to the following:

Behave Respectfully–I will engage with others in a way that honors the personhood and experience of all. I will both listen and contribute to conversations. I will make space for others to participate and avoid disruption or distraction by honoring the agenda and topics for discussion.

Self Care and Community Care–I will take care of myself and my needs. I will also take care to engage with our Unitarian Universalist communities in an empathetic, understanding and thoughtful manner.

Practice active and anti-oppressive engagement–I will make a conscious effort to engage with and understand what others are sharing. I will be attentive to how my interactions may impact others. Words and actions have been used to historically oppress people and therefore certain words and actions can be activating of traumatic or hurtful experiences. I will be mindful of this and participate in ways that are respectful and considerate.

Show Up – Understanding that we are in a time of global uprising against state sponsored violence and that these crises disproportionately impact some of us based on our identity and social location, I will cultivate grace and practice patience. I will be mindful to side with love by showing up for others in this time.

Be present to truth – We hold multiple truths gleaned from our lived experiences. None of our experiences, especially those of us who have been historically marginalized, are up for debate. I will be mindful of this during my interpersonal interactions during GA.

Our Unitarian Universalist values call upon us to avoid the following harmful forms of expression:

  • Offensive language related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, pregnancy status, veteran status, political affiliation, marital status, body size, age, race, national origin, ethnic origin, immigration status, language, religion or other identity marker.
  • Threats of violence or aggressive behavior of any kind toward any individual or group.
  • Online Trolling; deliberate provocative, offensive and/or disrespectful posts (commentary, images, GIFs) intended to derail conversation
  • Stalking or following - online (or in the physical world.)
  • Sexual harassment in any form, including sexual images, GIFs, sexual language, virtual contact without consent, and inappropriate social contact, such as requesting/assuming inappropriate levels of intimacy with others.
  • Continued one-on-one communication after requests to cease.
  • Revealing any aspect of the identity of a person who experiences marginalization without their consent.
  • Humor that evokes any of the above.
  • Adults should never be alone with an unrelated child at a Unitarian Universalist event, whether in-person or virtually. We ask that adults not private-message youth on any Virtual GA platform, including the GA App by Whova. It is appropriate to interact with youth in the mainstage chat rooms, workshop chats, and community boards on the app, where multigenerational registrants are all participating. It is not appropriate to engage in one-to-one communication between an adult and a youth.

As a registered attendee of General Assembly, I understand and agree that the content available in the GA app (i.e. worship, speakers, workshops, etc.) shall not be recorded or distributed for private or public viewing.

We will not be complicit when observing activity that is deliberately antagonistic and harmful. Violations of this Agreement and Practices will prompt any/all of the following action steps:

The participant will be contacted privately with a warning about their offense and given the opportunity to improve their communication for the benefit of all.

The participant will be contacted and their content (i.e. chat dialogue, app or social media post) may be turned off.

The participant will be removed from the space.

Sources