Online Group Agreement

Creating a safer space 

• Please use the same first name on Zoom as on your Eventbrite ticket to help facilitators verify attendees.
• Respect everyone's names, pronouns, identities, and boundaries. If you make a mistake, apologise, correct yourself, and move on.
• Please avoid asking intrusive questions about someone's gender, sexuality, or lived experience.
• Discrimination, harassment, hateful language, and prejudice will be addressed and may result in removal from LGBT HERO groups.

Please read the following helpful resources:

Understanding pro-nouns

Being non-binary

Gender inclusive language

Participation and engagement  

• Participate in whatever way feels comfortable for you, by speaking, listening, or using the chat window.
• Feel free to take a break or leave the session at any time, and message a facilitator if you need support.
• Please avoid giving advice.

Confidentiality and privacy 

• Don’t share the Zoom link with anyone else. 
• Screenshots, recordings, and photos are not allowed. 

• Respect everyone’s privacy and confidentiality.  
• What is shared in the group stays within the group.  

• Don’t share other people’s names or personal experiences outside the session. 

Safety and support  

• This is a peer support space, not group therapy, though it may feel supportive.  

• Speak from your own lived experience. 

• Please give a trigger warnings for sensitive topics raised and leave enough space for people to mute the group or step away if they wish.

• Take breaks if needed and avoid sharing identifiable personal information. 

How we facilitate 

• Our facilitators help keep the space safe, inclusive, and respectful by guiding conversations and ensuring everyone can participate in a way that feels comfortable for them. 

Zoom etiquette 

• Please have your camera on at the start of the session unless agreed otherwise in advance.  

• If you need to turn your camera off during the session, please send a direct message to let the facilitators know.  

• Keep your microphone muted when not speaking to reduce background noise.  

• Raise your hand (physically or digitally) if you would like to speak.  

• Let facilitators know about any accessibility needs in advance and ensure respectful, appropriate presentation during the session. 

Our guiding principles 

• Our groups are person-centred, valuing each person’s lived experience and knowledge.  

• We affirm and support BIPOC people and their allies and are committed to anti-racism and decolonisation.  

• We affirm and support all genders, including transgender, gender-expansive, and intersex people.  

• We affirm and support the LGBTQ+ community and diverse identities and relationships.  

• Our groups aim to provide a safe, inclusive online space, with topics shared in advance to help people prepare. 

Top Tips 

• Share the space by being mindful of how much you speak so everyone has a chance to contribute.  

• Assume good intentions, stay curious, and raise concerns respectfully if something feels harmful or problematic.  

• Be mindful of lived experiences and use trigger warnings when discussing potentially distressing topics.  

• Respect and affirm diverse identities and relationships and actively challenge discrimination or harm when it occurs.  

• Listen with curiosity and practice mutual accountability, gently naming and redirecting harmful behaviour in line with shared group values.

Thanks for being part of the community. Together, we can create a space where everyone feels seen, heard, and safe 💖