Zero racial slurs, zero racial degradation, zero race-based fetishization in shared event spaces.
Effective immediately. Last updated: January 28, 2026.
Why this exists
Community spaces have a duty to protect the most vulnerable within them. Personal agency matters, and so does the impact behavior has on everyone nearby. Race-centered roleplay and racialized degradation can harm bystanders, staff, and guests who did not consent to being exposed to it, even if two participants claim consent in private.
If something feels off, stop, reset, and ask a Host or Safer Space Monitor for support.
What this policy covers
- Race play, any roleplay, power dynamic, humiliation, or “scene framing” that centers race, ethnicity, culture, religion, or racial identity as the source of dominance, degradation, or sexual charge.
- Racial epithets and ethnic slurs, including “coded” variations, euphemisms.
- Racial fetishization, reducing someone to racial stereotypes, “types,” or identity-based labels for arousal or status.
- Othering language, comments meant to demean, exclude, or put someone “in their place” based on identity.
Note: This policy governs behavior inside The Shop’s shared spaces, including hallways, lounge areas, play areas, event floors, and any Shop-hosted community channels tied to events.
The policy
- Race play is not permitted in any Shop event space.
- Zero use of racial epithets or ethnic slurs at events, at all, regardless of intent, “dynamic,” or private negotiation.
- Zero racial degradation or humiliation, including language or behavior centered on racial traits, ethnicity, culture, religion, or racial identity.
- People are addressed only by chosen, pre-negotiated terms, and those terms must remain identity-safe and non-racialized.
- Zero implied consent. Consent must be explicit, ongoing, and revocable, regardless of race, role, status, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, age, or experience level.
- When unsure, defer to lived experience. If someone targeted by racism says a behavior or framing is race play or racially harmful, the correct move is to stop and reset, not debate definitions in the moment.
- Power exchange is permitted, but race-based framing is not. Negotiation must stay away from racialized content, stereotypes, and identity-based reduction.
Examples of disallowed behavior (non-exhaustive)
- Any racial slur, epithet, or “reclaimed” terms used in an open event space.
- Humiliation that targets race, ethnicity, culture, religion, or skin tone.
- Nicknames or labels that reduce someone to racial stereotypes or “types.”
- “It’s private” justifications when others can hear or reasonably be impacted.
Enforcement
Staff may pause an interaction, end a scene, or remove a guest from the venue to protect the space. Consequences may include removal from the event, membership action up to and including permanent ban, and loss of access to future events. Severity is based on behavior and impact, not intent.
Compliance is mandatory. “Negotiated” does not override this policy in shared spaces.
How to get help or report an incident
- Find a Host, Manager, or Safer Space Monitor immediately.
- Ask for a private check-in if safety or privacy is a concern.
- Email: hello@bodyshoppittsburgh.com
Reports are taken seriously. Retaliation for reporting is a separate violation and will trigger consequences.
FAQ
- Is this based on a specific incident?
This is a proactive community-care standard. Policy exists to prevent harm.
- What if two people claim consent?
Consent between two people does not remove the impact on everyone else in a shared environment. This policy sets the floor for what is allowed in open spaces.
- What should happen if someone is unsure?
Stop the interaction, reset language, and ask staff for guidance. A clean reset beats a harm event every time.
