Safety at Sandpoint Pride.
We, Sandpoint Pride organizers, are mindful that we are transitioning through a historic time when we are politically divided by irrational hostilities and acts of violence. These are the difficult birth pains of a more just and compassionate nation that, nonetheless, make many in our community wonder about safety during public gatherings. We have learned that we as a community keep ourselves safe when we act in partnership as individuals, community organizations, businesses, and public officials to develop a Sandpoint Pride Safety Plan. We believe the vast majority of Americans want to live in safe, respectful communities. Sandpoint has always been a place of community — working together to solve her problems.
These shared values of peace and respect for all are what make Sandpoint exceptional.
Our LGBTQI2S community is as diverse as the nation we live in. We are white and people of color, liberal and conservative, rich and poor/working-class, people of many faiths, and others agnostic or atheist in outlook. What unites us is a spirit and attitude of love and respect for queer and trans humanity. We expect people who attend our events to be willing to affirm this love and respect for the LGBTQI2S community as a matter of principle and because it is genuinely felt. There will be times when insincere people will present themselves as friendly yet show their true colors of discrimination when asked to affirm their intention of love and respect.
Queer and trans people who attend our events do not want to be questioned about their lives nor engage in debate. Our lives are not up for debate.
But rest assured, we will always respect the disrespectful even as we escort them off the site, which is private property, for violating our principles of safety and respect.
OUR SAFETY PLAN.
Regional Resources & Partnerships. We have established formal relationships with the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane (PJALS), Bonner County Human Rights Task Force, North Idaho Pride Alliance, Spectrum Center of Spokane, Western States Center, Equality Labs, City of Sandpoint, and Sandpoint Police Department. We have synthesized their advice, insights gained from past experiences, and recommendations into an organized safety plan for Sandpoint Pride 2023 and beyond.
Proactive Training. Members of the Pride Planning Committee and our on-site volunteers will be trained in peacekeeping de-escalations skills!
Day-of Volunteer Crew. In addition to our Pride Planning Committee, we will have a number of volunteers on-site both Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15. They will be identifiable by their Sandpoint Pride 2023 “Crew” T-shirts.
Pride Community Agreements. Love is a verb. We keep each other safe when we remember this and keep community agreements close to our hearts-whenever we come together as the diverse people we are to affirm the principles of democracy, freedom, and equality. Our goal, desire, and future organizing work will be the creation of a diverse community of individuals who think more clearly, feel more deeply, and behave more responsibly. The first step towards this goal is accepting some basic agreements about public gatherings. Our community agreements can be found at the bottom of this page.
See Something, Say Something: In the event of an incident that requires the immediate attention of law enforcement or paramedics, please call 911. The City of Sandpoint Police will be on-site and ready to help. In addition, we will have a designated Security Lead on the Pride volunteer team. We will also have a designated safety station. Any observations you may have about the behavior of someone which is troubling, potentially harmful, or in violation of our community agreements should be reported to a volunteer, the safety station, the safety lead, or the police immediately.
Consensual Content: We ask event volunteers, vendors, attendees, and those following along online to be mindful of sharing and tagging content that is consensual among those captured in photos or video. Please be sure your content is thoughtful, respectful, and embodies the mind of a peacekeeper. Please do not make assumptions about fellow Pride attendees, their identities, and/or comfort with appearing in photos publically. Please do your best to ask for consent before posting, sharing, and tagging.
Sandpoint Pride Community Agreements
1. Be Respectful. Affirm the dignity of your fellow LGBTQI2S community members through kindness and respect.
2. See something, Say something. Power and safety come from the strength of our relationships and our commitment to our community. Please report any concerns, no matter how big or small, to our safety station on site.
3. No guns or weapons allowed on-premise. Pride Festival is held on private property. Our business owners and local law enforcement will support the implementation of this rule if an individual does not comply.
4. Zero Engagement with Protesters. In the event of a protest, follow the mindset of a peacekeeper. Do not engage in negative dialogue or debate. Debating only serves to reinforce their belief they have a valid position. Our rights, freedom, dignity, our lives, are not debatable. Focus your energy on the community celebration rather than those attempting to distract from the purpose of our event. They want attention. Don’t give it to them. Learn to internalize a total indifference to their presumed positions of authority. Live a proactive life, not a reactive one.
THIS EVENT IS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
We hold the right to remove individuals and/or groups violating Sandpoint Pride’s purpose and community agreements.