JEDI
Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Body Electric is committed to radical inclusion. We are working to create safe and welcoming spaces for everyone of all genders and gender expressions, races, cultural ethnicities, abilities, body types, and economic realities.
Body Electric was born in the crucible of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco in the 1980s and has evolved into a movement striving to liberate erotic aliveness. Therefore, we are committed to a strong social justice path. We believe Black Lives Matter, we enthusiastically support LGBTQIA+ rights, we celebrate and welcome all intersectional identities – from neurodivergence to religious beliefs to disabilities and everything in between. We actively invest in and work to build an equitable, inclusive, anti-racist organization from the inside out. We believe in science.
The JEDI Committee
The Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee exists to advise and steward Body Electric’s commitment to unmasking and challenging systemic oppressions within our organization and in the world. The committee meets monthly and reports directly to the Board of Directors.
Current JEDI Initiatives
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1. Cultivating Diverse Representation
The BE Board amended the bylaws to require diversity of the operations staff and the Board of Directors of Body Electric. -
2. Diverse Workshops
Body Electric is offering in-person workshops exclusively for People of Color. BE is also developing workshops specifically tailored to trans and non-binary people. -
3. One Billion Rising Collaboration.
Body Electric collaborates with One Billion Rising, the largest global social action to end violence against women in history. By welcoming BE members to create art, we contribute to this significant worldwide movement. -
4. Vetting Locations
BE is in the process of vetting all locations where we hold our workshops to consider the emotional safety of participants, including potential trauma triggers. -
5. Land Acknowledgment
We are initiating the practice of offering a land acknowledgment at every in-person workshop to honor the Native peoples that once lived there. -
6. JEDI Climate Survey
In 2021 we conducted a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion assessment in order to examine our organization and clarify pathways to increase inclusion and diversity. View our JEDI Climate Survey here.
Glossary of JEDI Terms
The language we use is critical to our initiatives around inclusion. Here is a glossary of terms that enhance the way we communicate in a way that is honoring of all people.