While we get up and running, the group is a temporary “Dictatorship of the Proletariat”. This ensures that Evelyn will be able to get certain infrastructure in place, e.g. designing the website, setting up socials, and establishing initial documents and SOPs, with ease and little friction. This period of benevolent dictatorship will last no longer than three months (beginning 3 May 2026) or until the group reaches 5 active members, whichever comes first, at which point the below Governance Document will take effect and Evelyn will be removed from her dictatorial position.

Governance Document⌗

Purpose

  • Provide a safe, welcoming space for trans and allied people to play tabletop games, learn/discuss Linux, and share resources.
  • Operate transparently with decentralized authority and consensus-first decision-making.

Principles

  • Safety and inclusion: prioritize members’ physical and emotional safety; no tolerance for harassment or discrimination.
  • Decentralization: authority is distributed; no single person holds unilateral power.
  • Consensus-first: strive for consensus; use supermajority vote only if consensus cannot be reached.
  • Local, in-person focus: membership and leadership reflect active participation in meatspace events.

Membership

  • Membership is open to anyone who supports the group’s purpose and abides by this governance document and code of conduct.
  • Active membership requirement: attend at least 2 in-person (meatspace) events within any rolling 12-month period.
  • Rights of active members:
    • Participate in consensus discussions.
    • Call for votes when consensus cannot be reached.
    • Serve in working groups or rotating facilitation roles.
    • Propose events, policies, or use of shared resources.
  • Inactive members retain observer status and may regain active status by meeting the attendance requirement.

Decision-Making

  • Consensus process:
    1. Proposal: any active member may present a proposal in-person or via the group’s primary communication channel.
    2. Discussion: open discussion period where concerns, amendments, and objections are raised. Facilitators ensure everyone who wishes to speak can do so.
    3. Attempt to reach consensus: facilitators synthesize major concerns and propose amended wording aiming for agreement.
    4. Consent check: facilitator asks if anyone objects. If no sustained objections, the proposal passes by consensus.
  • Definition of consensus: absence of sustained, substantive objections after reasonable attempts to address concerns.
  • Fallback: supermajority vote
    • Trigger: if consensus cannot be reached after two full cycles of amendment/clarification or within a reasonable time agreed by participants (e.g., two meetings or 30 days).
    • Eligible voters: active members at time of the vote.
    • Threshold: 75% of votes cast (supermajority) required to pass.
    • Quorum: at least 40% of active members must participate in the vote for it to be valid. If quorum not met, the vote fails and the proposal is returned to discussion.
    • Voting method: in-person show of hands for meeting votes; absentee ballots allowed if submitted in writing prior to the vote and verified by facilitators.
  • Emergency decisions:
    • For time-sensitive safety or legal issues, any two facilitators may make interim decisions; these must be reported and ratified in the next meeting via consensus or supermajority vote.

Facilitation and Roles

  • No permanent officers; roles rotate among willing active members.
  • Typical roles (can be combined and are advisory/coordination, not unilateral power):
    • Facilitator(s): run meetings, manage agenda, ensure inclusion and adherence to process. Recommended minimum two facilitators to prevent unilateral action.
    • Scribe: take and publish meeting notes and decisions.
    • Events coordinator(s): organize space, schedule, supplies.
    • Safety contact(s): first point of contact for incident reports.
  • Term length and rotation:
    • Roles are volunteered for a default term of 6 months; members can renew or rotate sooner by mutual agreement.
    • If a facilitator becomes inactive or steps down, active members elect a replacement by consensus or supermajority if necessary.

Working Groups

  • Formed by active members for specific tasks (events, outreach, tech support).
  • Scope and lifespan: defined when group is created; sunset date recommended and can be extended by consensus.
  • Decisions within working groups follow the same consensus-first model; escalation to full group occurs for matters affecting group policy or resources beyond the working group’s scope.

Resources & Finances

  • Any pooled funds or shared resources must be transparently tracked.
  • Budget proposals:
    • Created by any active member or working group.
    • Approved by consensus or supermajority as per Decision-Making rules.
  • Financial records:
    • Maintained by a treasurer role (rotating volunteer); published monthly to active members.
  • Spending limits:
    • Small routine expenses (e.g., snacks, small supplies under an agreed amount, e.g., $50) may be approved by a working-group consensus.
    • Larger expenditures require group-level approval.

Conflict Resolution & Incident Response

  • Report: incidents reported to any safety contact or facilitator.
  • Triage: safety contact(s) assess immediate risk and take steps to ensure safety (e.g., remove individuals from events, call authorities if necessary).
  • Process:
    1. Preliminary fact-gathering by two safety contacts or facilitators.
    2. Confidential communication with involved parties.
    3. Proposed remedial action (apology, mediation, temporary suspension, or removal).
    4. Decision: remedial actions are adopted by consensus where possible; if consensus cannot be reached about removal or long-term suspension, a supermajority vote (75%) of active members is required.
  • Appeal: affected member may request an appeal hearing within 30 days; appeal decided by a panel of three active members who were not involved in the original resolution, selected by consensus or, if needed, by random draw from volunteers.

Amendments to Governance Document

  • Any active member may propose amendments.
  • Amendments follow the Decision-Making process; substantial or structural changes should allow at least two meeting cycles of discussion before a final vote.
  • Emergency amendments affecting safety can be made temporarily by facilitators and must be ratified at the next meeting.

Transparency & Records

  • Meeting notes, decisions, and financial summaries are published to the group’s primary communication channel within 14 days of meetings.
  • Personal identifying details about incident reports are kept confidential and shared only with those directly involved or required to respond.

Dissolution

  • Proposal to dissolve the group follows the Decision-Making process and requires a 90% supermajority of active members present and quorum met.
  • Remaining funds or assets: if dissolved, distribute to an agreed local nonprofit or community group supportive of trans and/or free/open-source communities, selected by consensus or supermajority.

Adoption

  • This governance document takes effect when adopted by consensus of active members present at the adoption meeting (or by supermajority if consensus cannot be reached).

Contact & Administrative Notes

  • Maintain a publicly visible summary of meeting times, event locations, and how to join.
  • Maintain confidential list of current active members and role holders for administrative use.