New to InFLUX? Start here!
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To attend most of our events, you will need to participate in our mandatory Consent Workshop that we offer in Romanian and English. If you’re new to InFLUX, there are only a few events you can attend.
1 - Intro to the Scene
Socializing events - such as Poly Monthly, an event where we discuss topics surrounding polyamory, open relationships, and more; or Munches, where we gather up and talk about things that happen in the BDSM and kink community. You can come to these events without having attended our Consent Workshop before. The Consent Workshop is mandatory for everyone new who wants to attend any other event besides the ones mentioned above.
2 - Mentorship in the scene
Once you've been to our Consent Workshop, you will have access to all our educational events. These will include workshops, artistic performances, and alternative events.
We try to make the space as safe as possible. For this, we take several measures of safety. Our first measure is the Levels for events, insuring that people are first educated about consent, sex positivity and inclusiveness before being able to participate in everything else.
Monitors - All of our events have monitors. Monitors are volunteers known and trusted to the space, who make sure everything goes smoothly during the event. They go through training and are more than happy to answer questions, guide you or deal with any issues that might appear. At every event they will be wearing a green armband so you can quickly spot them. When an event requires an added layer of safety, paid security will be present at the location. It is recommended you "use" the monitors on the spot, at the event, to report anything that has just occurred.
Ambassadors - These volunteers out of the community are there to keep communication channels open. They will tell us anything you need us to know (consent violations, complaints, etc.) without revealing your identity. If you choose to reveal your identity at a later date, they will also take care of that, but their main job is to make sure the information gets to us without putting you on the spot. It is recommended you "use" the ambassadors when you communicate things (complaints, consent violations, etc.) that happened outside of the venue.
The report box - Inside the venue's toilets you will find an anonymous report box. In there, you can drop any information you deem relevant but are uncomfortable speaking about to another human being. Know that while we will be reading all the notes, they will weigh less in our decision-making regarding issues that appear. That is because it is much harder to verify the source of the complaint. But they will help keep communication channels open while fully protecting your identity.
At InFLUX, we want to encourage the people in our community to organize and host events that align with our values. Our doors are open for anyone, as long as they respect the principles of consent and respect the space itself. For a regular organizer at InFLUX, note that we can negotiate a flat fee or a percentage of earnings.
If you are at the intersection of multiple marginalized communities and your idea is valuable to community building and people feeling at home, we might waive the fee entirely.
We know that paying for event tickets is a privilege. We don't want anyone to feel left out or not have access to the information and pleasure they need because of money. Our pricing is flexible, which is why we have a few options that we think are fitting for everyone.
If you can afford it, you can either pay the full price or a little bit over. We know not everyone who wants to join our events can afford to pay regularly, which is why if you have the possibility to pay a little extra, know that this money will compensate for someone else’s ticket.
You can also help us by volunteering and making things easier and better for everyone. And you will have free access to most InFLUX events. This solution is for people who have more time available to get involved and help us on an ongoing basis.
Note that our events with international teachers and presenters have fixed prices - and though they cannot be negotiated, we might be able to offer support to those in need from our community fund. Talk to us about it and we’ll figure it out together!
Our Values
CONSENT
Consent CARES meaning:
‣ Cannot be held to a predetermined agreement - Consent is not a contract; people can change their minds.
‣ Agreement that is mutually communicated - Listen and pay attention to words, feelings, and context. Respect indecision - it is not a yes. Mixed messages mean “no.”
‣ Responsibility of the initiator - The person wishing to initiate an action or make a change in the dynamic is responsible for initiating the conversation about consent. This might include initiating a rope scene, touching different body parts, or transitioning from tying to touching.
‣ Enthusiasm - Is your partner enthusiastic verbally and physically? Check-in. If you have doubts, don’t proceed.
‣ Step-by-step (ongoing) - Especially when transitioning from one activity to another, consent can be renegotiated or withheld at any time. Check-in every step of the way
FLUIDITY
We hold this value most dear to us. We named the space Influx ("in flux" = constantly changing) because we believe a lack of certainty is very important. Openness to change, question and curiosity are principles we strongly believe in. The stories we tell about who we are as people and what defines us are always changing. And change can mean transformation, it can mean redemption and it can mean evolution.PLEASURE
We consider consent to be the bare minimum. We want each person's pleasure to be the driving force that creates initiation and negotiation. We want people to feel empowered to pursue their pleasure wherever it might take them. What we work towards is for people to feel so safe, excited, and willing that they initiate the fun, feel in control of their experience and go towards the activities and folx that they desire.INCLUSIVITY
Everyone is welcome in our space as long as they respect the identification and preferences of others. We welcome folx no matter their gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation (see translated gender unicorn here), no matter their background, religion, creed or politics as long as they keep the space respectful for all . That means don't assume, ask respectfully (find a guide on how to ask respectful questions right here). Don't give advice unless advice has been specifically asked for.
In short, we welcome everyone except for those who don't welcome everyone. You can read more about why we don't tolerate intolerance here. Our basic premise is that all people deserve equal rights, equal respect and not to be tokenized or othered. You can read more about what it means to be othered here.
ACCESIBILITY
We tried to make the space welcoming and accessible to people with disabilities or neurodiversity. You can read our article to discover exactly what facilities we have available..
We would also love it if your reached out to us with suggestions on how to improve or any questions you might have to make your time at InFLUX the best it can be!
SEX-POSITIVITY
To us, being sex-positive means having a positive attitude toward sex. We welcome sex as a beautiful part of life for those who want it, but not as mandatory. That means you can learn skills for your erotic, esthetic or hedonic pleasure. We believe no experience has to be intrinsically sexual.BODY NEUTRALITY
We understand the concept of body neutrality to mean that a body is far more important for the things it does and the experiences it offers than the way it looks. All bodies are welcome in our space, no matter their color, shape, size, texture, or how we choose to cover or uncover them. Do not make assumptions about how people feel about their bodies. We encourage you to read more about this subject right here.MEDIATION
We believe in repairing bonds and educating those who make mistakes. Unless we see a consistent pattern of behaviour that leads us to believe the person is not willing to change, we will make the effort to include everyone in a safer way. That being said, we prioritise the needs of those affected and their wishes.NO EXCEPTIONS
The rules are thought out and constantly scrutinised. We are always open to changing them if new principles make more sense to us. But we do not make exceptions and we don't like privilege. So if you want to ask us to break a rule "just this one time", know that the answer is no.