the folk pledge

a commitment to universal dignity, without exception

Inspired by Adam Newbold's omg.lol people principles.

the promise

I pledge to put the following folks first in all decisions I make about folk.zone, in how I moderate these spaces, in who I welcome, and in how I build community:

who we put first

the principle

Universal rights are only worth something if they are universal. A commitment to human dignity that makes exceptions is simply not a commitment to human dignity. It is a commitment to the dignity of the folk you prefer.

None of us can care about everything at once. But are the limits of your attention and solidarity principled or tribal? Who are the folk you don't think about? Is the shape of your compassion carved by genuine ethics or by proximity?

Violence against one human being is violence against all, as it demonstrates the principle that some lives can be violated. And once that principle is established, it is only a matter of which lives. We are always closer to the excluded than we imagine.

the commitment

I will be strong, vocal advocates of all, not a select few. The work of building that freedom is not finished. Really, it has barely begun.

This pledge is not about purity testing or litmus testing politics. It is not about being holier-than-thou. Rather, we must not ignore certain groups in favour of others. We cannot allow ourselves to succumb to the tribalism and othering, regardless of how warranted or justified we can articulate it to be.

If you find yourself thinking "yes, he's right about all of it, except for that one section", I want you to notice that. I want you to sit with the fact that your exception, the carve-out you're reaching for, the "but that's different!" forming in your throat. This is the mechanism this pledge is about. This is how it works. Not with villains who announce their contempt. With reasonable people who believe in universal dignity except for this one group, for reasons they find entirely persuasive. We always do.

our praxis

This is not a statement of values. It is a commitment to action. Praxis is the combination of theory and action, what we believe and what we do. Here is how we operationalize this pledge:

in moderation

When harm occurs, we centre the survivor. We do not demand proof beyond reasonable doubt. We do not prioritize the comfort of the accused over the safety of the harmed. We recognize that marginalized folk face disproportionate barriers to reporting and that our role is to remove those barriers, not add to them.

We do not platform hate speech, harassment, or content that dehumanizes any of the groups named above. We do not debate their humanity. We do not provide space for "both sides" when one side is calling for the elimination of the other.

in technical design

We build for accessibility first. Not as an afterthought. Not as a compliance checkbox. We design for screen readers, for keyboard navigation, for slow connections, for cognitive differences. We recognize that accessibility is not a feature, it is the foundation of an inclusive web.

We prioritize privacy and security. We do not collect data we don't need. We do not sell user data. We do not build surveillance into our tools. We recognize that marginalized folk are disproportionately targeted by surveillance and that our responsibility is to protect, not to enable.

in community building

We do not build communities that are comfortable for the majority at the expense of the marginalized. We recognize that comfort is often a proxy for exclusion. We are willing to be uncomfortable if it means creating space for those who have been excluded.

We centre marginalized voices in leadership, in decision-making, in public representation. We do not tokenize. We do not use diversity as marketing. We recognize that representation without power is performance.

in accountability

When we fail, and we will, we own it. We do not deflect. We do not minimize. We do not demand that the harmed educate us on why our actions were harmful. We do the work to understand. We apologize without qualification. We make restitution. We change our behavior.

We recognize that good intentions do not absolve harm. We recognize that impact matters more than intent. We recognize that accountability is not punishment, it is the prerequisite for trust.

in practice

This means:

None of us are free until all of us are free.