Wood Buffalo Pride Fair

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Heat related illnesses are the most common issue treated by First Aid at Pride Festivals!

From sun protection, to safer substance use, Harm Reduction is all of our responsibility. Make a plan, watch out for one another, and check out community resources. 

• Paramedics are on scene in the event of an emergency. 
• Pride Fair volunteers will have water, snacks and sunscreen available. 
• A Cooling Station is available on the Fair Grounds. 
• Staff and volunteers with suicide prevention training will be wearing ASIST pins.
• A Quiet Room is available for those needing less stimulation or a break from outside.  
• Narcan is available from the Pride Tent or the First Aid Tent. 
• Volunteers with Naloxone training will be wearing Naloxone Pins.
• Volunteers and Staff will be easily identifiable throughout the Fair with t-shirts  Feeling like you need support or have a question about the Fair? Chat with one of us!  We are here for you!

• Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, hand fan
• Snacks, electrolytes, water bottle
• Dental dams, lube, condoms, gloves 
• Plan your ride home
• Bus or cab fare
• Mask, hand sanitizer
• Comfortable shoes
• Earplugs
• Narcan

•  Don’t use alone, buddy up. Start low, and go slow.
•  Consent is for more than just sex! Hugs, high fives, and everything between and beyond needs a consent check. 
•  Check in with your friends to make sure they are playing safe and feeling comfortable. 
•  Make sure your friends have a safe way home - especially if they changed their plans near the end of the night. Get contact details and ask for a check-in if they are going home with someone new. 
•  See someone looking uncomfortable, unsafe, or unwell? Check in with them and see if they need help. 

We expect all vendors, artisans, performers, community groups, non-profit organizations, and volunteers taking part in the Wood Buffalo Pride Festival to participate in a way that aligns with the values and community safety guidelines of Wood Buffalo Pride, as outlined in our Code of Conduct. 

All participants have the right to feel safe, respected, and free from discrimination during their attendance of the Wood Buffalo Pride Festival. The purpose of the Code of Conduct is to keep all Festival participants safe, and to create accountability for intentional and/or unintentional incidents of harm.  

The 2SLGBTQIA+ community has faced an increased amount of adversity in our province and community in recent years. Because of this, we encourage keeping interactions positive and culturally-sensitive to avoid any unintentional misunderstandings. Our goal is to ensure that the Wood Buffalo Pride Festival remains an inclusive, welcoming space for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and our allies. 

1. No discriminatory behaviour or harassment will be tolerated. Hate speech, slurs, threats, aggressive interactions, harmful debates, or mistreatment of other Festival vendors/staff/volunteers/performers/ attendees is not acceptable. If exhibited, the individual(s) responsible may be removed from the Wood Buffalo Pride Festival events and/or Pride Fair grounds. 

2. Practice consent and respect personal space boundaries at all times. All participants must receive explicit consent before any interaction that involves physical touch or puts them in someone else’s personal space, especially when it comes to hugs, touch, and taking photos or videos. Consent can be verbal and/or nonverbal, and can be withdrawn at any time. In addition to verbal consent, pay close attention to body language and facial expressions that may indicate a person is feeling uncomfortable and not providing consent.  

3. Do not assume the gender or pronouns of any individual (ex. she/her, he/him). Use gender-neutral language whenever possible when greeting people or addressing someone whose pronouns you don’t know. Respect everyone’s self-identified pronouns (the pronouns that they use for themselves and/or display with a pin or name tag). There will be pronouns pins available at the Wood Buffalo Pride Festival events and Pride Fair for people to self-identify their pronouns.

4. Please refrain from making any unnecessary comments, observations, jokes, or criticisms of a person’s appearance, body, race, ethnicity, gender, age, ability, or other components of identity.  Please also avoid asking others any invasive personal questions about their bodies, identities, or relationships. 

5. No weapons or items that resemble weapons (ex. water guns) are permitted on Wood Buffalo Pride Festival events or Pride Fair grounds.

6. Avoid inviting individuals that are likely to violate these values and/or Code of Conduct.  

Please note:

There are Wood Buffalo Pride Festival attendance restrictions in place for the following groups:

a) No police members that are on duty, in uniform, or armed - members must be off duty and in    plain clothes. 

b) No politicians that have taken a stance against any part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community or Indigenous communities. 

Contact Festival Security as soon as possible if you experience, witness, or receive a disclosure of any serious Code of Conduct violations, such as:

• Physical, verbal, or sexual harassment 
• Immediate threats to safety
• Consent violations
• Violence or aggressive behaviour
• Weapons
• Protestors
• The presence of restricted attendance groups

Contact a member of the Wood Buffalo Pride Staff Team as soon as possible if:

• You experience or witness a situation that you believe violates the Code of Conduct, or that makes you feel uncomfortable during your Volunteer shift, and you would like support with next steps (which may or may not involve Festival Security).

Once an incident has been reported, Wood Buffalo Pride Staff will review our Code of Conduct guidelines with the individual(s) involved and create a plan for accountability and safety moving forward.

Wherever possible, Wood Buffalo Pride Staff will ensure that appropriate supports are in place for any individual(s) involved in an incident.

Serious, intentional, or repeated violations of the Code of Conduct and any direct threats to the safety of the Wood Buffalo Pride Festival and/or participants may result in immediate removal from the Pride Festival event and/or Pride Fair grounds.