Commitment to Safety and Respect
Anime Ames is dedicated to maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all attendees. We are committed to preventing and addressing harassment. This includes but is not limited to harassment based on race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, military service, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, personal appearance, marital status, or any other personal characteristic.
Harassment
A REMINDER THAT COSPLAY IS NOT CONSENT!
Harassment is outlined under Iowa law and can be referenced here: Iowa 708.7 Assault & Harassment
Harassment can be defined but is not limited to when a person has the malicious intent to purposely terrorize, intimidate, annoy, alarm, or threaten any person. Any behavior that creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment may be considered harassment.
Additional examples of harassment include but are not limited to:
Physical: Stalking, Photography or Recording without consent, inappropriate physical contact, etc. ongoing
Verbal: Ongoing disruption of panels or events, slurs, demeaning jokes or comments, innuendos, unwelcome compliments, or other verbal or physical conduct. deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, unwanted photography or recording, ongoing disruption of talks or events, inappropriate physical contact, and unsolicited sexual advances.
Sexual Harassment: Sexual Harassment may be physical or verbal and include inappropriate touching, sexual comments, or any unwelcome sexual advances.
Verbal Consent should be given at all times. If someone is not able to give informed consent free of repercussions—then that is not consent! Participants are required to stop any harassing behavior immediately when asked.
Reporting & Consequences
If you experience or witness harassment from staff, attendees, or external parties at our event, please do the following:
Assess the situation: If you feel comfortable addressing the issue by asking the offending party to stop, please do so.
Document: A physical explanation, time stamp, direct quotes, or pictures & videos of offending behavior will help us address the situation more efficiently and quickly. However, do not put yourself in harm’s way if the situation is not safe to do so.
Report: If you do not feel comfortable addressing the issue or if the other party has not stopped after clear boundaries were stated, immediately report to a staff member indicated by a staff t-shirt and staff lanyard.
For post-event reporting or if you would prefer to report online, please email aniamescon@gmail.com. If you do not hear a response within 3-5 business days, please follow-up via email or reach out to us on social media via Instagram or Facebook @ani_ames.
We take all complaints seriously and will conduct a thorough, unbiased, and confidential investigation. Following the investigation, we will share the findings with the involved parties. Appropriate corrective actions will be taken based on the severity of the misconduct including but not limited to:
A Verbal disciplinary warning
Removal from an event
Removal from the venue
Banishment from future events
Individuals who report harassment will not face any retaliation. We are committed to protecting those who come forward and ensuring they are not subjected to negative consequences.