Consent

At Life Itself, we wholeheartedly embrace and celebrate the diversity of our attendees, welcoming individuals of all genders, races, body types, sexualities, religious orientations, and every other unique identity. Our commitment is to create an inclusive and respectful space where everyone's boundaries are honored, ensuring an enjoyable and consensual experience for all.

We also deeply value consent in all we do: parties, events, and just everyday life. Due to these core beliefs, below we have drafted a consent policy that aids in the creation of a safe and enjoyable experience for all participants.

Definitions

Consent — Consent is an agreement between participants for a specific activity, requiring understanding and willing engagement throughout.

Consent must be FIRE:

  • F - Freely given (not under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or any sort of coercion)

  • I - Informed (unless you consent to a surprise, you should know what you’re getting into aka what will happen in a scene)

  • R - Reversible / revocable (can stop at any time, just because you said yes at the start doesn’t mean you can’t say no during)

  • E - Enthusiastic!

Consent policy

In accordance with our set guidelines, it is your responsibility to ask for consent before initiating any physical contact, to be mindful of non-verbal cues, and to make a conscious decision regarding the granting of permission.

  • Verbal Permission
    No touching without explicit verbal consent.

  • Pre-Play Discussion: negotiate the scope of the play/scene
    Thoroughly discuss and agree on activity boundaries before engaging in any play.

  • Establish Clear Boundaries
    Communicate your limits clearly and if necessary, establish a "safe word." We use stoplight coloring:

    1. Green means “GO! Yes yes yes!”

    2. Yellow means “this is intense, proceed with caution, you’re close to my boundary” (aka you’re close to my NO).

    3. Red means “STOP, you’re at my no.”

    If you’re doing something where you can’t hear the other person, use tapping to identify yellow and red.

  • Emphasize Verbal Communication
    Use phrases like "I'd like to do _________, would you like that?"

  • Ensure the Consent is Valid
    Confirm partners can give informed and voluntary consent. This includes checking in to see if your partner(s) are intoxicated prior to play.

  • Withdrawal of Consent
    Consent can be withdrawn at any time; respect your partner's decision and, ideally, thank them for honoring their boundaries.

  • Regular Check-Ins
    Check in during play to ensure comfort; gracefully respond to your partner's requests.

  • Consent Violation
    Violating someone's boundaries can occur either inadvertently or deliberately, irrespective of intent, and may or may not involve harm. We prioritize impact over intent, which means that even if you didn’t MEAN to cross someone’s boundaries, if you DO, we will take action.

Reporting & Handling of reports

If something happens to make you feel unsafe, you can report in two ways: 

  1. Tell a Guardian at the Event
    Our Guardians are trained to help and believe you if your boundaries have been crossed. Find one of them and they will take your report and assist you with re-establishing your safety.

    Guardians are wearing a [Color] light up sash. You can also let a Staff member know, wearing a [Color] light up sash, who can help direct you to a Guardian.

  2. Email us After the Event
    We also encourage you to  email us after the fact at consent@lifeitselfevents.com. Consent is very important to us, and we want to know if it has been violated.

Things to Note and Bans

  • Life Itself has no tolerance for patrons making other participants feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

  • Guardians are authorized to remove people from our parties. 

  • Bans are issued based on Guardian reports and reports sent to consent@lifeitselfevents.com. If you feel you have been unfairly banned, email us.