CUFF Code of Conduct and Consent Policy

Effective December 19, 2021

Introduction

The Charlottesville Underground Fetish Fellowship (CUFF) strives to create and foster a safe, respectful, welcoming, and fun environment for the benefit of its members and guests, both in and out of play, in both actions and language.

As is the case in any private club, attending CUFF events is a privilege, not a right, and the CUFF Board of Directors is empowered to make the final decisions on who can attend CUFF events. This power is not intended to be used to discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, age (other than to enforce a minimum age of 18), religion, creed, disability, veteran's status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Anyone attending a CUFF event is expected to follow this consent and conduct policy; no one is exempt from the following rules. If you are personally unwilling or unable to abide by all elements of this policy, you should not affiliate with CUFF, nor attend CUFF events.

Every reasonable effort will be made to enforce this policy, but CUFF makes no representations or guarantees about its ability to do so, and all participants/attendees retain full, sole responsibility for their safety and the safety of others with whom they interact.


Code of Conduct

General:

Never touch people (this includes hugging) or personal property without explicit permission.

Approach everyone as an equal; only engage in verbal role-play if you have express permission. For example, don't address someone as "Mistress" or "slave" or by any other role-play word unless you've received permission.

Discretion is absolutely necessary. Some members' family, friends and/or jobs may be threatened if their lifestyle were known. We expect people's privacy and identities to be protected. Don't approach other scene members in public and make reference to any lifestyle topic. They may very well be with someone who does not know of their interests. Don't disclose the identity of anyone you see at a CUFF event.

Recording with cameras, video recorders, or any other type of audiovisual devices is not allowed by attendees at any public CUFF sponsored event. All recordings at private events are subject to the event's photography policy.

Play and Scenes:

Negotiate the scope of your scene prior to play. Before the scene begins, it must be clear that all scene participants have given consent to all proposed acts.

Each participant is responsible for determining that everyone involved has the mental and emotional ability to give informed and voluntary consent during their negotiation for the scene.

At any point during the scene, participants can withdraw consent, make a nonverbal safesign, or use an agreed-upon safeword. Once consent is withdrawn, the activity must stop immediately. At an event, any assigned Dungeon Monitor is empowered to cease play at "Red" or another safeword that has been previously shared with the event's Monitors. Participants are responsible for sharing which safewords or safesigns are being used.

Provided that consent was valid (not coerced or based on inaccurate or incomplete information), CUFF does not consider later disappointment or regret at having consented to an act to be a consent violation.

Harassment:

Harassment or bullying of any kind is not tolerated. This includes but is not limited to behaviors such as: