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STANCE background gradient: Blue to purple to pink. The blue and pink are from the colors of the Trans Pride flag. The purple is from the nonbinary flag.
STANCE Logo: Seattle Trans and Nonbinary Choral Ensemble
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To establish expectations for building an inclusive and compassionate singing community.

CODE OF HARMONY & ACCOUNTABILITY

STANCE POLICIES

A photograph of a team taken from the back. Their arms are draped around each other's shoulders, supporting one another.

VISION

By building a community of trans and nonbinary singers, we aim to foster an environment where changing voices are authentically embraced. Our vision is an inclusive and accessible singing community where intersecting identities are centered at all levels of the organization. Through our music, both singers and audiences are encouraged to find embodiment and connect to our full selves, physical and emotional.

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ATTENDANCE

To ensure concert readiness, we ask that singers who want to perform do not miss more than half of the in-person rehearsals per concert. If you are unable to attend regularly, you are still welcome to sing with us but we will ask you to sit out the concert and final dress rehearsal.

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RECORDING

• Audio-only recordings of the singing portion of rehearsals by any singer are allowable for creating reference tracks but please alert singers around you. No video recordings by singers are permitted during rehearsals for community safety.  • Most rehearsals will be video streamed live but only the audio portion will be posted afterwards.  • Late season rehearsals may be video recorded by STANCE staff for social media promotion but will be announced ahead so that singers who prefer to opt out or remove name tags can do so.  • Concerts will be video recorded and posted publicly.

  1. Respect each others’ time by being on time and present during rehearsals, and by not speaking over STANCE staff or those with questions during rehearsal. 

  2. Respect each others’ health by not coming to rehearsal if you are sick or have symptoms of contagious illness.

  3. Respect each others’ identities by learning how to pronounce names correctly and using the pronouns (or lack of pronouns) that people ask for. 

  4. Respect others in person and online by communicating with care and assuming good intent. 

  5. Respect ourselves. If you have unmet access needs or vocal health concerns, share them with STANCE staff, section coordinators, or board members.

  6. Respect the building we are using by keeping it in good condition and reporting any issues or concerns to leadership.

COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS

Photograph of STANCE rehearsal, with singers in the aisles of a church

  1. This chorus is a place for any singer who considers themselves part of the Transgender and/or Nonbinary community. We don’t police identities or require anyone to have transitioned medically or experienced dysphoria. Trans “medicalism” is harmful to building inclusive communities and we choose instead to focus on promoting self-identification.

  2. Social justice is a path with many approaches and we are not all at the same place on that journey. Bring fellow singers into community with you by focusing on improvement rather than perfection. Be open to changing your perspectives based on what you learn from others and recognize that we will all make mistakes. Accept that discomfort is necessary for growth. 

  3. People aren’t disposable. To build an inclusive community together, we recognize the value in each and every person around us. In practice, this means that it is our responsibility to help each other understand how our actions have hurt, or have the potential to hurt, other chorus members. This can mean responding to a situation by doing something like: speaking up in the moment, stepping back to discuss later, or contacting STANCE leadership.

  4. If you see problematic behavior, we encourage you to kindly point out how it is harmful and offer alternatives. Our goal is to help people improve and build a stronger community together rather than pushing people out. If you’re not comfortable addressing this directly with the person, please work with your section leader or a board member for a resolution. Bullying, demeaning language, personal attacks, and exclusionary language will not be tolerated.

  5. Conflict is a normal part of any community, especially in places where members may have experienced trauma. If you have a conflict with a fellow singer or leader, please attempt to compassionately resolve that conflict with the person or people involved. If you’re upset, consider taking a step back and returning to the topic at another time. You’re also encouraged to discuss the situation with your section coordinator or a board member prior to approaching the person or people in question. 

  6. While we assume positive intent, we also understand that intention doesn’t negate impact. If you hurt others, even if you didn’t mean to, it’s your responsibility to apologize for your impact and strive to do better in the future. If in the moment you don’t feel like you have done anything wrong, we encourage you to take some reflection time in order to minimize natural defensiveness. If after reflection you still don’t understand the impact, we encourage you to work with your section leader or a board member on a path towards conflict resolution. 

  7. Intersectionality means recognizing that all of us have elements of privilege and marginalization. No one in our community is only privileged or only marginalized. Being trauma-informed also means understanding that past experiences may impact how we experience and respond to a situation. Please be compassionate towards your fellow singers so that we can avoid replicating harmful “purity culture” and “oppression Olympics” within our community and further perpetuating trauma. 

  8. Leadership is accountable to the community, but we are also members of the community ourselves. The Executive Director, Artistic Director, and Board Members are all learning along with you in our paths towards social justice. Please don’t hesitate to raise issues or identify problematic elements of the chorus with us, but please do so in a compassionate manner. To address concerns, you can speak with us in person at rehearsals or by emailing board@stanceseattle.org. We’re here to listen to you. 

  9. While conflict is best resolved directly with the people involved or in conversation with mediators (see #5), we recognize that this is not always possible or accessible. Therefore we’ve provided a Complaint Form as a way to submit anonymous feedback and maintain confidentiality. If your complaint is about the Board, you are welcome to request a listening session with an outside mediator. 

  10. Repeated or severe violations of this Code of Harmony, without taking responsibility for actions and making efforts to repair, may involve one or more of these steps:

    • Conversations between you and a member of the STANCE leadership team to help you understand the impacts of your actions and give you an opportunity to repair

    • Follow-up conversations with Board Members if this situation has not improved.

    • A closed Board meeting to discuss potential actions to repair the damage that has been caused, potentially up to and including you being asked to leave the community. We will make every attempt to resolve issues with you before taking this step.
       

GUIDELINES FOR MUTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY

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CHOIR CULTURE

There is so much more to STANCE than just singing! Click on these sections to learn more about our choir culture, our code of conduct, our COVID policy, and how to join us!

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