Ohio Museums Association - 2022 Code of Conduct
The Ohio Museums Association is dedicated to providing a safe, inclusive, and welcoming conference experience for everyone. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment in any form.
Based on the Ohio Revised Code, we define discrimination as the unjust or prejudicial treatment of others based on race, color, religion, sex, military status, national origin, disability, age, ancestry or other human difference.
Harassment includes, but is not limited to:
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Comments or actions that minimize a person’s lived experiences[i], identity, or safety
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Deliberate misgendering or use of “dead”[ii] or rejected names[iii]
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Deliberate “outing” of any person’s lived experiences or identity without their consent
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Sustained disruption of talks or other events
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Physical contact without consent or after a request to stop
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Unwelcome sexual attention
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Deliberate intimidation or stalking of any kind – in person, online or on the telephone
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Collection or distribution of harassing photography or recordings
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Threats or acts of violence – in person, online or on the telephone
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Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior
Discrimination/Harassment is not:
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‘Reverse’ -isms, including ‘reverse racism,’ ‘reverse sexism,’ and ‘cisphobia’
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Reasonable communication of boundaries, such as “leave me alone,” “go away,” or “I’m not discussing this with you.”
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Refusal to explain or debate social justice issues when the person being asked is put in a defensive position based on their lived experience, personal identity, or safety
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Communication in a ‘tone’ you don’t find congenial
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Discussion of sensitive topics
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Criticizing racist, sexist, cissexist, or otherwise oppressive behavior or assumptions
This Code of Conduct applies to all OMA events, including all conference venues and conference-related social activities at the OMA Annual Conference.
Reporting
If you or someone else is being discriminated against or harassed, please report it as soon as possible. You can make a report to OMA board members, staff, or online. Online reporting may also be anonymous.
Please contact [email protected] for assistance. This email will be monitored for the duration of the conference.
You can make an anonymous report at https://forms.gle/aaAX5vBDejfRb59f9. We can’t follow up on an anonymous report with you directly, but we will take your comments seriously. We appreciate you sharing your feedback; this will help us to ensure safety at all our events.
Consequences
This Code of Conduct is in place to protect the safety of all attendees, staff and volunteers. Individuals asked to stop any harassing or discriminatory behavior are expected to comply immediately. OMA staff may take action to redress anything disrupting the event or making the environment unsafe for participants. Anyone engaging in any of the behaviors outlined above may be subject to expulsion with no refund from meeting and related events, or future events.
Attribution: This Code of Conduct is based on the policy used by the American Alliance of Museums.
[i] “lived experiences” means the first-hand accounts and impressions of living as a member of a minority or oppressed group.
[ii] “deadnaming” means to use someone’s old name. It specifically refers to the practice of deliberately referring to a trans person by their pre-transition name. Not only is it disrespectful, it can be considered an act of violence, especially when a person is not publicly out as trans.
[iii] “rejected name” can also include persons who have changed their names for non-transition related reasons such as relationships, political statements, etc. Malcolm X changed his name for very specific reasons related to his identity; it is disrespectful to refer to him as anything besides Malcolm X.