Community Standards

safer tech for Queers to connect

freeQ Community Standards

freeQ means freedom for queers; and part of that freedom comes from our community's love of enthusiastic boundaries and consent standards. freeQ wants to provide a safe space for our guests and partners to be their most authentic selves. We want you to leave our events freer, queerer, and with more courageous love towards yourself than when you came!

So, now the reality talk. We’re human and society can be toxic. We are increasingly aware that disrespectful behavior, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and systemic bullying are deeply embedded in our culture. These behaviors are contrary to who we are and what we aspire to be. To that end, we have created freeQ’s Pillars of Freedom to accompany our terms of services.

freeQ Pillars of Freedom

freeQ is a queer-centered, gender-inclusive, and body-positive space for humans of all genders, races, sexual orientations, ethnicities, body types, physical/mental realities, ages over 18, and backgrounds.
Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, fat-phobia, body shaming, ageism, etc. will not be tolerated. Although harder to identify, subtle acts of exclusion (microaggressions) can impact guests, and we ask everyone to bring their best selves to interactions.
We encourage the use of an enthusiastic, affirmative model of consent (Yes means Yes; No means No; We discourage the use of Maybe when discussing boundaries and consent).
Anyone can retract consent at any time.
Consent should never be assumed when engaging with another guest, performer, or host at a freeQ event.
Refrain from using divisive, judgemental, or exclusive language while at a freeQ event.
No inappropriate jokes or comments at the expense of others.
Be sensitive to triggering terms.
A freeQ guest’s or host’s sexual orientation, gender, kinks, or past personal trauma is private until the individual wishes to share. However, we do encourage our guests to share their pronouns as part of their screen name when possible, to foster healthier communication and to avoid misgendering any of our guests, teams, and partners.
Be honest about your limitations. We welcome them with open arms.
Respect the freeQ event hosts, performers, and moderators. We are here to educate, entertain, but most importantly to make sure you are in a healthy and safe environment conducive to joy and freedom. Make sure you check the chat (and private chat) for any messages or instructions you might receive from hosts and moderators. They are the people to message in case you need to report any harassment or violation of boundaries/consent. Look for the stars on their screens.

Before attending an event on freeQ, especially a play event and naked event, take some time to ask yourself the following questions:

Where are my boundaries today?

Once you know where your boundaries are, take a moment to acknowledge that your boundaries are perfect exactly where they are. It’s also OK if your boundaries change throughout a freeQ event. At freeQ we support and celebrate enthusiastic consent and enthusiastic communication. If you feel like sharing your boundaries with a freeQ event host or moderator please do so. There will even be some instances when the boundary check-in will be prompted by the host of an event, like asking if you would like to be “on spotlight” during Queer Dance Naked Party. If it’s an event where you might play, you may remind yourself of agreements you have with current partners. What are my polycule’s boundaries?
Am I able to set boundaries and consent today? Am I able to respect freeQ’s and other guests’ boundaries and consent today?

Many factors can influence our ability to set healthy boundaries. Take a moment to check-in with yourself to make sure you are in a place to healthily communicate your boundaries and give or retract consent. In the same vein, make sure you are in a place to fully respect freeQ’s and our guests’ boundaries and consent. Consequences for not respecting boundaries and consent can escalate from a warning to a full ban from all freeQ events. For example, I can ask myself, am I sober? If I’m intoxicated I might not be in a place to consent.
What are my fences (hard) and gates (soft)?

Sometimes we have hard boundaries (fences) and soft boundaries (gates). Fences are never to be passed through, these are your boundaries that will never change no matter the day or the event. Gates can open and close depending on circumstances of the day, growing level of comfort etc. Take some time to reflect on what are your fences and what are your gates before attending a freeQ event. Taking to check in with yourself is self care. When we are aligned with our boundaries, both fences and gates, we are better prepared to communicate and share.

Chatiquette

When messaging in the general chat or in the private chat with other guests, we also encourage the use of an enthusiastic, affirmative model of consent as established in our Pillars of Freedom. We do not recommend making any assumptions when it comes to another guest’s interest in flirting, receiving compliments that could be deemed sexual or kinky, or questions that might be too personal. If you are initiating messaging with someone privately (especially for the first time), we invite you to ask questions to determine their consent and boundaries. Example questions can be: Do you consent to flirting? Are you open to compliments? Remember: Yes means Yes; No means No; We discourage the use of Maybe when discussing boundaries and consent.

Stop Light Model

At play events we will be introducing the use of the Stop Light Model when messaging and discussing boundaries/consent. This is especially helpful if guests are interested in quickly revisiting boundaries they have established for each other during an event. We also welcome including these as part of your screen name if you find this to be applicable.

Green: Open. Yes. Ask specifics.
Yellow: Soft Boundaries (Gate). Ask specifics.
Red: No. Hard Boundaries. Pass (Fence). Stop. Ask specifics.

For example, someone might respond yes to being open to compliments or flirting; along the way somehow the messaging went too far for them or made them uncomfortable, and they just typed “Red”. Now you know a boundary has been crossed, or consent has been revoked.

Another example, there might be a day when you are not interested in engaging in messaging in the chat. You can use the Stop Light Model to let others know you are not interested in private chats by including “Red” in your screen name.

The use of the Stop Light Model can change depending on the event but what will never change is the significance of each color. This is a great way to quickly share where your boundaries and consent are on a given day/event.

Process for reporting harassment or abuse

In order to ensure sustainable change, we appreciate that all of us must know harassment and misconduct when we see it, and know what to do when we experience or observe it.

Report Immediately to a host or moderator with a star on their screen
freeQ is a surveillance free platform, and because of that we do not record events, we do not record the chat activity (that includes private chats), and we do not allow photography. This means the freeQ team is moderating in real time, and can be most effective in assisting when our guests report any misconduct to the event host immediately; if possible, via private chat.

2. Be Precise

When reporting, be as clear and precise as possible with the event host when detailing the type of misconduct that you witnessed or experienced. This goes back to the fact that we do not record or allow photography and will depend on your description of the incident.

What happens next?

Once you have reported the incident, and after receiving your consent to move forward, the event host will contact the guest in question and depending on the potential consent or behavior violation freeQ will either:

Give them a warning.
Kick them out of the current event.
Ban from all freeQ events (grave violation of consent/boundaries/terms of services)

A freeQ host might reach out to you about a potential consent or behavior violation and it might be surprising or sting to receive that feedback. We ask everyone (team members and guests) to accept that some of our own behavior may still be rooted in old assumptions. Every one of us has a critical responsibility to learn about and recognize the impact of our own actions. When we receive feedback that we have (even unintentionally) made someone uncomfortable, we commit to looking inward, becoming even more self-aware, and adjusting any offensive behavior immediately. Apologies and ending the behavior go a huge way to healing.

freeQ Terms of Services

The freeQ system is privately owned and operated. We set the terms and conditions. We are a lot more free and open than commercial tech, but we also have boundaries. If you break the rules, you receive a warning. If you do it twice, you will be booted from the event and locked out. Depending on the severity of the offense, you may be banned for life from freeQ.

You agree that you will not photograph, audiotape, or videotape any part of the freeQ System (Event). You agree that you will not screen grab or otherwise copy any of the Event content. You agree that you will not share any of the Event content in any form. In other words, don’t be a jerk or abuser. We liberate ourselves by trusting that we will not exploit each other. Don’t make us sue you or ban you from our wonderful community, which we will do. Photography or recording will get you banned for life.

Event attendees release freeQ from any liability, claim(s), demand(s), cause(s) of action, damage(s), loss or expense (including court costs and reasonable attorneys fees) of any kind or nature ("Liability”) which may arise out of, result from, or relate to their participation in the Event.

For play events:

This is a digital world, so we have limits on how we can work as safety managers. As event hosts, we can spotlight videos and put them in the center. If play on a video is triggering for you, you can exit and come back later. You can hit toggle view and look at all the videos. You can select another video to look at. Please take care of you. Unlike IRL play, safety managers are not physically available to you, but your hosts will seek to assist in ways we can, so please do reach out to anyone who has a star on their video.

Consensual scenes of BDSM, fetish, costumes.

Nudity, costumes, leather, stripping, rope, pole dance, are all celebrated, too.

Our hard boundaries are:

No guns or firearms allowed, whether real or facsimiles.

No illegal activities.

No blood, urine, or scat play.

Unless otherwise stated for the event,camera on, y'all! We are asking that folx participate as they are able, unless the host or moderator states otherwise. At a camera-on event, if your event host observes that your camera is off, and we are not aware of an accommodation, they will chat you. You have 10 minutes to respond. If you do not, you will be booted from the event. No refund.

Together with our partners, we have established rules on consent and community standards. If you break those rules, you will be booted and expelled from partner and freeQ events. We are serious about standards and expect you to be part of lifting us up and fostering safety. Thank you.