We’re not big on rules at Escapade, but we do have a few policies that we ask everyone to agree to. If, for some reason, you think you’ll have trouble cooperating, please contact the con committee. Before anything else, please read our Code of Conduct.
Pets
The Embassy Suites does not accept pets. Therefore, pets other than service animals are not welcome at Escapade.
Cameras
We love our cameras. We love our mementos. But we do not love facial recognition software, which improves with every passing year. You are NOT permitted to post, anywhere (including photobucket, facebook, LJ, Dreamwidth, or other platforms), photographs of people taken at Escapade, without their express WRITTEN permission. Escapade is a private function, and the posting of any unauthorized photos, anywhere, is a violation of attendees’ privacy. Contact us if you have questions *before* you post any photos of Escapade attendees anywhere on the web. If you’re concerned about having your photo taken, be sure to update your preferences in the My Account section.
Fan Police
That’s not us. We are your hostesses and your organizational staff; we do not mediate personal disputes (unless they’re really entertaining). You’re always welcome to talk to one of the con staff if you have a problem, but again–we’re not the fan police.
That said, if you see or are affected by something that rises to the level of needing the real police (or firefighters, or other emergency services), be sure to call 911, then notify the convention staff.
Safe Spaces
We didn’t know it in 1991, but Escapade was an unintentional safe space for women who liked slash, believed it was okay to be sexual beings, were fannish, and believed that was okay too.
Today the concept of “safe spaces” is ever-changing, and we often aren’t sure we even know what it means. What *we* mean is that this family of friends that continually grows and changes is a crowd of adult women who know how to be adults, who have looked out for each other for the convention’s entire history, who have worked out interesting new issues together as they have risen over time. We think of Escapade as a “safe space” today too: a place where it’s safe to share your opinions and have them tested and discussed; a place where some people will focus on the squee about their particular fandoms, while others will become engrossed in the meta of fandom, fan culture, even women’s changing roles in all of this; a place where everyone should be respected, and where in our experience, if someone isn’t being respected, other members will step in to help.
We value attendees’ feedback, especially that of newer members. What can we do continue to encourage personal responsibility without ever putting people’s sense of safety or welcome in the back seat?
Cancellations
Attending members who cancel before January 31 will receive a refund (less $25 for processing) or may roll their membership over to the following year (less the $25 processing fee). Cancellations after January 31 will not receive a refund unless we fill your spot from the waitlist.