Red Files C­ommunity Guidelines

Every Red Files member must read this document. By signing up as a member, you agree to abide by and uphold these Community Guidelines. 

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What is Red Files? 

Red Files is a confidential online space where workers can support each other. We have a diverse membership and all workers are welcome and treated equally.

Why do we need community guidelines? 

Staff and members must adhere to the Community Guidelines to make sure our community runs exactly the way it’s intended: positively and respectfully. We want to create a culture that’s ethical and responsible. Keeping Red Files a safer space is essential (we use the word “safer” because we understand that everyone’s experience differs, and no space can be entirely safe for everyone, but we still want to do our best.)  

We understand that not everyone defines sex work in the same way and that we all engage in sex work differently. No matter our differences, we all have a right to make a living as we see fit. We must be respectful of each other and our choices. None of use deserve disrespect or abuse in the workplace, and we all have the right to make a confidential report to Red Files when something like this happens.  

Who are our members? Who are our staff? 

Red Files welcomes anyone who identifies as a sex worker (either past or presently working) and who agrees to follow the Community Guidelines. Red Files is proud of our diversity – it’s important and it makes our community richer! We welcome anyone currently working in the sex industry, aged 18 and over. We welcome all genders, anyone working in any modality (street-based, private, establishment, and so on), from novice to more experienced; we welcome all sexualities, any colour, culture, nationality or background.  

Red Files is governed entirely by sex workers. Their responsibilities, duties and authority are described in the Help Desk section of the website.  

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How to protect our space    

A worker who breaches confidentiality and shares the details of Red Files with a non-member may be legally liable, if the leak creates legal problems for our community – no excuses.      

You must take responsibility for what you post and be mindful of your behaviour. Ask yourself if your content will be appreciated. Is there a chance it could cause offence to another member?  

Avoid making judgements and/or promoting prejudice about race, sex, gender, sexuality, ability, drug use, mode of sex work, legal status, and mental health.Do not use this space to express intolerance of someone’s religious beliefs or lack thereof, stigma, racism, ageism, sexism, hetero-sexism, homophobia, transphobia, cis-sexism, ableism, classism, fat shaming, sex negative attitudes, slut shaming, whorephobia, victim blaming or any other behaviour or language that may perpetuate oppression.  

If you take a break from working… 

Inform Red Files if you take a break from sex work or leave the country for an extended period of time.

How to Report a Breach of These Guidelines 

If you feel there’s been a breach to Community Guidelines, please view the Red Files Grievance Procedure and contact a MOD.  

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How to Keep Red Files Going: Donate! 

If Red Files is an essential service for you, please consider donating to keep it running. Without support, we won’t be able to continue indefinitely. We therefore encourage every member to donate, if not financially then at least some time and expertise, whatever amount they are able.  

Like many other services that you pay for, Red Files can assist you with your business. How much is this worth to you? Without financial contributions, Red Files can’t continue. If we don’t support it, we’ll lose it.    

How to contribute financially: 

• Our preferred financial donation is $240 per year, or $20 per month – this is the amount that allows us to keep functioning as an organisation.
• If you are accessing a sex worker friendly business, that you think could potentially sponsor us and set up ads within the website, you can inform us about them.
• You can donate a sponsorship to a sex worker organisation of your choice, so that they have a month of advertisement on Red Files (this costs $150).
• You can join our sex worker-friendly hosting platform Red Cloud, which will host your website on our Australian server. All profits go back to Red Files!

All the money that you donate here goes back to or community. We don’t get funding any other way (except sponsorship) and the sex worker community is often forgotten or ignored by the rest of society – we need to rely on each other for support. You can see how we’re spending your money on the Donations page.

 

We accept donations via bank transfer:

Bank - Commonwealth Bank

Account Name - Red Files Inc.

BSB - 063123

Account Number – 10580904

 

Donations are not tax deductible, but we’re working on making them so at a future date.  

If you’re not in a position to make a financial contribution, please consider donating your efforts in other ways.

 

How to contribute in non-financial ways: 

• Spread the love! You could recommend Red Files to your sex working friends and offer to be a vouch for them.

• If you have any nuggets of wisdom to share, you can send them to us.
• If you're in the know-how of industry news, you can contribute to our News Room.
• You can make this a supportive community by commenting or DMing on files to let workers know that you’re thinking of them and their well-being.
• You could use your time or skill set to create a resource or create content for our social media accounts.
• You can write any motions for the Board to consider, if you have ideas that will make Red Files a better place.

Thank you for taking the time to read this! 

Life can be hard enough as it is; let’s not make things tougher for each other. Let’s work together to make sure Red Files is a safer space and welcoming to all workers. Make the effort to put these Guidelines into practice as each member before you has done. 

 

Special thanks to the Vixen Collective for providing insight on safer space approaches.