Governance Structure

 Democratic governance

How do I request to amend the Ethics of Practice?

• If any members wish to amend the Ethics of Practice, they can draft their suggestions and send this to queersdiscuss@gmail.com. Within 2 weeks of submission, the proposed amendment will be discussed at a meeting of Queers Discuss. Voting will take place in the next two face to face sessions as well as in the WhatsApp group via an online poll (e.g., Google/Microsoft Polls) to determine whether it should be written into the Ethics of Practice.

What to do if I have an issue with the functioning of the group or the facilitator’s behaviour?

• If a member takes issue with how the facilitator has handled a situation or with facilitation more generally, they are welcome to reach out to any of the group’s founding members, who will ensure there is a timely conversation between the facilitator and the member(s) submitting the claim.

• Members can contact one of the founding members after our meeting.

How do I suggest new topics?

• Queers Discuss is a group whose conversations are specifically oriented towards life-centred topics.

• We have deliberately taken the structure of one-word topics to allow for conversations to be open to various interpretations. Therefore, new topics should stick to this format and be in the form of one-word prompts related to the overarching theme of navigating life.

• We will have an online poll (e.g., Google/Microsoft Polls) that is constantly live for members to pick new topics.

• We will also have a suggestions box at our meetings where members can submit topics. 

• Every quarter, group members will vote on the next series of topics entered via the online poll and the suggestions box.

• Voting will also take place via an online poll on this website.

What is the role of the facilitator?

• The facilitator's duties involve being the primary moderator for the group every week and ensuring that the Ethics of Practice is respected by members.

• The facilitator is expected to intervene in situations where a member becomes violent or aggressive towards another member(s).

• The facilitator has the right to respectfully ask a member to wrap up their remarks.

How are facilitators chosen / how do I become a facilitator?

• The initial facilitators for the group are original founding members of Queers Discuss. 

• All facilitators must undergo bias awareness training as well as some form of facilitation training.

  • Demonstrated experience in moderation, facilitation, conflict management, and/or line management is a plus. 

• Members who wish to become facilitators must be active participants in the group for six months and must have attended at least two meetings per month across the six months.

• If, after six months, a member wishes to be a facilitator they can ask to have a conversation with founding members to discuss this process. 

• There will be three facilitators at any given time.

How are decisions about the group made?

• The group is governed by seven founding members who are responsible for its functioning, including running the social media and website, organising the meeting space, responding to members' concerns, and ensuring the Ethics of Practice is upheld.

• We aspire to make decisions as transparently as possible, and we have set in place a clear and practicable Ethics of Practice and democratic governance structure to aid in this.

How is the group assessed to ensure it is being responsive to members’ needs?

• Annually, we will host a general meeting (outside of the usual Tuesday meeting time) to discuss the group, any feedback and requested changes from members and any updates to the group moving forward.

• We will ensure the date and venue for this meeting is communicated in advance to allow as many members as possible to attend.