Read the policies below, then go take the Policy Quiz located here.
Once you have have taken the quiz, you may register here.
- No touching people or personal property without permission. Communication is the key to initiating play, determining the level of intimacy you may have toward another, and the scope of your activities. Negotiate and obtain enthusiastic, verbalized consent before you play or touch.
- Treat everyone as an equal by default. Everyone has the responsibility to obtain, provide, or withhold consent. Understand that a bad scene is not a consent incident. All interactions require the ability to communicate.
- Each participant is responsible for making sure, to the best of their ability, that everyone involved has the physical, mental, and emotional capacity to give informed and voluntary consent during negotiation and during the activity itself.
- Alcohol, illegal substances and firearm/firearm replicas are NOT allowed.
- YOU are responsible for bringing all supplies for play & aftercare; CLEAN UP after your scene and leave all equipment free of sweat, blood and body fluids.
- Do not monopolize the equipment, 75 minutes is the absolute time limit.
- Smoke in areas designated by the venue only. Please use ashtrays provided and NEVER throw your butts on the ground (DMs can direct you to the smoking area).
- Photography: We do not allow any video or audio recording of any type, including photography in the event space. Outside of the event space (such as your private hotel room), everyone in the recording must have given their permission to be recorded.
- Anyone can withdraw consent at any time during any activity. Participants need to agree on meanings for safewords or safe signs when they are being used. The event safewords are yellow (check-in) and red (cease the activity). All participants shall endeavor to be clear and unequivocal when withdrawing consent.
- All participants are responsible for stopping immediately any activity at the withdrawal of consent from anyone.
- We do not allow negotiating up in the middle of an activity. When a person is not in a clear state of mind, you may not have full informed consent in the heat of the moment. However, either party has the ability to discuss and change things as they happen.
- If your consent is violated or you experience a consent incident, verbally tell a volunteer, event owner/ organizer, or clearly marked delegate. There is a procedure in place to help you. If you are unable to do so at the event, inform an event owner/ organizer by phone or email as soon as possible. It is your right to report what happened to you and to ask for support. If your response to an incident is delayed, email the event owners/ organizers as soon as you are able.
- Violation of the consent policy may result in expulsion from the event and/or temporary or permanent ban from HEaRT of Texas events or activities with no refund. There are procedures in place to handle violation of this policy and those procedures will be followed by all volunteers, staff, and delegates. No one is exempt from the policy.
- Dungeon Monitors (DM) will be present in designated play areas. Please do not engage in lengthy chats with a DM who is on duty in the play area. The DM must have access to all areas during the event. Only a DM may interrupt a scene.
- All decisions made by event owner/ organizers regarding safety, security, or removal are final.
- HEaRT of TX has a zero-tolerance policy AGAINST outing – including social media. We strive to provide a SAFER SPACE FOR ATTENDEES.
- By participating in HEaRT of TX in any capacity, you agree you will NOT post, directly or indirectly, any personally identifying information about another participant without their consent. Personally identifying information can include, but is not limited to, a person’s full name, first name, last name, email address, profession, phone number, address/ location and place of work.
- Do NOT assume ANYONE is OUT! Even if they seem to be. They may be out to you, but not in general.
- Realize there is a world of difference in outing an abuser/assailant to law enforcement for JUSTICE and outing someone whose views or personality you don’t like.
- Respect the privacy of all attendees. Do not mention proper names or describe a person in such a way that their identity may be determined without verbalized consent from that person. Only use a person’s badge name unless they have indicated otherwise.
- Remember, communication is the key to initiating play, determining the level of intimacy you may have toward another, and the scope of your activities. Negotiate and obtain enthusiastic, verbalized consent before you play or touch.
Disclaimer: Every reasonable effort will be made to enforce this policy, but the organization makes no representations or guarantees to do so. Each situation is distinct and will be reviewed on a case by case basis. All participants and attendees retain full, sole responsibility for their safety and the safety of others with whom they interact.