Safety at QWOCFF
How we hold safety together at the festival, and what to do if you need support.
LBTQIA+ people of color Deserve Good things!
Safety at QWOCFF
QWOCFF is built on collective care. Our Safety & Care crew, crisis counselors, and community agreements work together so everyone at the festival can be fully present.
Below, you'll find how we create safety, who's on hand to help, and what to do if you need support.
Find the Front Desk
The Front Desk is your first point of contact at every screening. Ask anyone there for help, or to be connected to a Safety & Care crew member or crisis counselor.
Four subpages cover the specifics. Each one stands on its own — go to the page that matches what you need.
Crisis & Triggers
Crisis hotlines, on-site counselors, and what to do if you get triggered during a screening.
- Crisis hotlines (SFWAR, Trans Lifeline, BlackLine, and more)
- On-site crisis counselors at every screening
- Self-care guidance and quiet space access
We Keep Us Safe
Our framework for community safety, why we don't call law enforcement, and what our crew can and can't do.
- How we define justice for ourselves
- Our law enforcement boundary
- What's in our scope, and what isn't
Sexual Safety
Practices, what to do if you witness or experience harm, and our harassment & discrimination response.
- What we ask of everyone
- How our Safety & Care crew responds
- Survivor-centered harassment & discrimination policy
Emergencies
Medical care, evacuation procedure, shelter-in-place, and venue equipment.
- Medical care and nearby facilities
- Evacuation procedure (we move as one, no one left behind)
- AED, first aid, and accessible exits
Community Safety
QWOCMAP serves multiple communities that experience direct trauma.
We are also survivors of multi-generational trauma brought on by the histories of oppression: racism, sexism, heterosexism, genderism, ableism, sizeism, ageism, and classism.
We recognize that many of us experience secondary trauma as we bear witness to the trauma experienced by our loved ones and communities around the world.
As survivors of violence, abuse, and trauma ourselves, QWOCMAP supports our community by creating safety plans that address emotional triggers, and provides spaces for healing in ways that honor people's feelings, experiences, and agency. We know how it impacts our overall wellbeing and our ability to be in community.
QWOCMAP advocates for the creativity, leadership, and power of our communities. We encourage all of us to think about our human needs and to make decisions that allow us to heal. We support people in doing what makes them feel comfortable and safe.
QWOCMAP programs provide mental health professionals and certified crisis counselors. We are committed to assisting our community to actively participate and enjoy peace, comfort, and abundant celebration.
Our Safety & Care Crew
The crew is on-site throughout the festival. They wear red badges, and some of them have bright pink safety vests. The Safety & Care crew coordinates crisis counselors, quiet spaces, building security, and childcare. If anything feels off, they're the people to find.
QWOCMAP trains venue staff on our safety protocols, including not allowing law enforcement into our spaces. We focus on de-escalation, collective care, and addressing behaviors rather than targeting people. These practices come from over two decades of building spaces where our community can gather safely.
For our full framework on community safety and the law enforcement boundary, visit We Keep Us Safe.
Process For Creating Safety
At any time, community members who need support with emotional triggers can talk to the Front Desk. They will connect you with a crisis counselor for short-term support. The full list of crisis hotlines, on-site counselors, and self-care guidance lives on Crisis & Triggers.
If anyone feels uncomfortable, we ask that you approach our Safety & Care crew. They will use community safety measures and respond to any problems, conflicts, or altercations that arise. They work from a philosophy of de-escalation and collective care.
People who behave in a disrespectful way — aggressive, drunk, making oppressive remarks — are met with compassionate conflict resolution. Our full survivor-centered harassment and discrimination response lives on Sexual Safety.
QWOCMAP is happy to offer support within the resources we have available, and to assist in developing safety plans.
If you need specific support around being a survivor of interpersonal or state violence, please reach out to our Community Partners.
People who behave in a disrespectful way (aggressive, drunk, making oppressive remarks) are met with compassionate conflict resolution. Our full survivor-centered harassment and discrimination response lives on Sexual Safety.
Sexual Safety
for our full harassment and discrimination response
Use the Quiet Space
Step away to a quiet space. Ask any team member with a red badge to direct you. No explanation is needed.
Community Partners
for accountability and healing referrals
Our Commitment
We build the festival around the people in the room. Our Safety & Care crew, our crisis counselors, our community agreements, our practices for emergencies. All of it exists so our communities can gather, watch films, and be fully present without having to navigate harm to do it.
If something feels off, find a crew member in red badges and bright pink safety vests. They're here for you.
