CCKC GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Finalized on 4/13/2025
Adopted 4/26/2025
1.0 Mission
1.1 CCKC promotes collaboration among queer kink and fetish oriented organizations in the Greater Chicagoland region*.
1.1a *The Greater Chicagoland region is defined as the following counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Kendall, Will, and Kankakee Counties in Illinois; Kenosha County, Wisconsin; and Lake County, Indiana
2.0 Vision
2.1 Drawing from Greater Chicagoland’s rich history of kink, fetish, and queer culture, we at CCKC envisions a community that collaborates, has a culture of openness, and celebrates diverse joy.
3.0 Values
3.1 Mutual Collaboration
We believe in the power of collective actions and mutual aid. CCKC organizations work together to grow and adapt in order to better serve the community. This is achieved by member organizations engaging in activities such as sharing knowledge, resources, support, and discussing matters that impact the Greater Chicagoland community.
3.2 Openness
Each organization commits to communicating with the goals of maintaining accessibility, empathy, and accountability.
3.3 Diverse Joy
We acknowledge that joy comes in many forms and actively work to help each other’s organizations succeed. This leads to the celebration of many identities, genders, sexual expressions, connections, and achievements.
4.0 Responsibilities
This section details the responsibilities that CCKC organizations agree to facilitate the mission.
4.1 Confidentiality
Clubs have a duty of confidentiality to other clubs with regards to matters discussed in CCKC forums (meetings, chats, emails, minutes, or other communications) when confidential matters are brought forth such as internal policies or requests for confidential consultation.
4.2 Consent
Consent is required for the use of any club representation (ex. name or logo) on any outside communication, and also for the use of CCKC representation by any club. Consent may be revoked at any time and for any reason, and must be honored by all parties.
4.3 Organizational Autonomy
Organizations may engage in collaborative activities as they see fit. Organizations can choose not to participate with no negative repercussions to CCKC involvement.
4.4 Participation
Participation must always be voluntary and active. Active participation is defined by attendance of CCKC meetings annually and/or engagement in communication with CCKC.
4.5 Continuity of Relationship
Participating organizations are responsible to communicate internally to ensure that their representatives are kept up to date on discussions and can meaningfully represent their organizations during CCKC discussions. Organizations are also responsible to maintain accurate leadership contact information to facilitate CCKC communications.
4.6 Respect
Organizations will be respectful and appreciative of differences of opinion. Representatives ought to be cognizant of time, place, the nature of public forum, and the potential impact on others during interactions at CCKC. Organizations will strive towards open and honest conversation, acknowledge and welcome ambiguity, make room for diverse voices, and take accountability for the effect of their actions.
4.7 Maintaining Lines of Communication
Organizations are responsible for maintaining access to the most current form of CCKC communication. Representatives are encouraged to check the primary form of communication regularly between meetings to stay informed and participate in communications with other members.
4.8 Community Engagement
All organizations will maintain active involvement in their communities. This can take the form of hosting at least two (2) community or group events in a year or maintaining at least five (5) members.
4.9 Community Stewardship
Organizations are responsible for facilitating accessible and reasonable communication between CCKC and other organizations that are interested in collaborating and/or joining. Building a community requires everyone to be welcoming.
5.0 Structure
This section details the structural elements and processes for running and managing CCKC.
5.1 Meeting Structure
The following section details the structure of meetings at CCKC.
5.1a Meetings
CCKC will have at least four (4) scheduled meetings each year (January, April, July, and October). The site and date of these meetings will be set forth by CCKC. Organizations are welcome to arrange additional collaborative meetings outside of CCKC’s scheduled meetings.
5.1b Special Meetings
CCKC may elect to have additional meetings. The time and place will be agreed upon by CCKC organizations within reason and at least fourteen (14) days notice will be provided.
5.1c Emergency Meetings
An emergency meeting may be called at a time and place agreed upon by CCKC organizations to address urgent community matters. A mechanism for participation will be provided for organizations that cannot participate in the emergency meeting. If there are any matters of voting that are required, CCKC can initiate the voting process as noted in the voting section.
5.1d Meeting Convenor
One volunteer from a CCKC member will serve as the convenor for each meeting. The convenor is responsible to prepare and distribute the meeting agenda one (1) week before each meeting through the primary form of communication, and chair the meeting to ensure orderly discussion of the agenda. A convenor is chosen at the end of each meeting by member consensus for the next meeting.
5.1e Meeting Minutes
At each meeting, a volunteer among the attending representatives will record notes and minutes. Notes specifically consist of a meaningful narrative summary of the discussion where the purpose is helping organizations who weren’t able to come to the meeting participate in ongoing discussion. Notes should be available within twenty four (24) hours of the meeting. Meeting minutes focus on procedural activities, highlighting the attendees, motions, changes to membership, any votes that are taking place, etc. and should be shared with the organizations within fifteen (15) days following each meeting. The meeting minutes can be amended as needed until the next quarterly meeting where they can be finalized and approved by the attendees present.
5.2 CCKC Administration
CCKC organizations must create a system of managing the administration of CCKC so that it may operate effectively. This includes (but is not limited to) matters of communication ownership, email, website, and CCKC assets. It is imperative that CCKC is managed sustainably.
5.2a Communication
CCKC will maintain a primary communication channel for members to stay connected, with the consideration of privacy, safety, accessibility, and other features to reflect the community’s need at the time.
5.3 Financial Collaboration
Organizations within CCKC may choose to collaborate financially towards a project. Organizations participating in said project must agree to how these finances will be managed and utilized.
5.4 Participating in CCKC
The following section details the process of CCKC member organizations moving throughout CCKC.
5.4a Joining CCKC
Organizations can join CCKC’s communication channels and meetings by expressing the desire to any CCKC organization and/or CCKC. This communication can occur in a variety of ways, including (but not limited to), email, direct message, phone call, website contact form, etc. As noted in the “Community Stewardship” responsibility, CCKC organizations must facilitate reasonable and accessible communication between potential organizations and CCKC to this end. The member organization that received the inquiry will take the lead on this joining process unless they are unable to do so. At which time, a CCKC organization can volunteer to take the lead instead.
From there, the CCKC organization will engage in a dialogue with the inquiring group, going over their group and what their goals would be for joining CCKC. The CCKC org will notify CCKC groups of this inquiring group via primary communication channel. Groups may then engage in a discussion regarding this inquiring group which may include potential concerns or notable strengths. CCKC will then vote on if the inquiring group should be accepted at the next quarterly meeting utilizing the voting structure as noted below.
5.4b Leaving CCKC
Organizations can opt out of CCKC participation at any time. An organization’s representative needs to share in CCKC communication channels that they are leaving and remove themselves from the channels. CCKC can follow up by removing them from appropriate communication channels (ex. Lists of orgs, email chains).
5.4c Removal from CCKC
Organizations that do not appear to align with CCKC’s values and/or are not able to fulfill CCKC org responsibilities may need to be removed from CCKC’s communication channels. Reasons for removal can include (but are not limited to) a year of non-participation, unable to fulfill CCKC org responsibilities, hostile behavior towards other organizations, or other CCKC value concerns. This is to ensure a culture of safety and active participation that is required for quality work together. Prior to removal, reasonable conflict resolution or remediation must be attempted. Removals must be discussed in CCKC meetings/communication channels. CCKC can initiate the voting process as noted above. Removal can be enacted when at least 51% of the organizations that submit a vote agree.
5.4d Rejoining CCKC
Organizations that have left voluntarily or have been removed can rejoin by submitting a new request as listed in “Joining CCKC” unless there are significant concerns of safety or value alignment. If there are concerns, CCKC can choose to discuss an organization rejoining during a meeting and utilize the voting process to make a decision.
5.4e Quarterly Review of Membership
CCKC will regularly review membership in quarterly meetings. During this review, any present CCKC org can bring up concerns including (but not limited to): participation, concerning behaviors, inactivity, dissolution, or conflicts. As noted in the removal section, reasonable conflict resolution/remediation must be attempted. During this review, CCKC orgs will create action items to address these concerns (example: a CCKC org plans to reach out to an inactive group to see if they would like to continue being a part of CCKC). During this review is also when voting relating to membership (such as a joining CCKC group or removal).
5.5 Voting
If there is a matter that requires CCKC organizations to vote, then CCKC will initiate a voting process that allows all member organizations to submit a vote within five (5) business days. If any organization requests an extension to further discuss the issue, then an extension of five (5) business days will be given. Each organization is given one (1) vote. Decisions will pass if at least 51% of the submitted votes approve. A minimum of 5 affirmative votes is required for a motion to pass.
6.0 Amendment
6.1 Amendment to the guiding principles may be proposed and voted on at any meeting of the coalition, provided that it is ratified at a regular meeting (not emergency or additional meeting). Amendments need to be proposed fourteen days (14) prior to the day that the vote is made. Amendments are approved by the voting process but with at least 67% of the submitted votes. Approved amendments shall become effective immediately upon ratification, unless otherwise specified.
7.0 Adoption
7.1 The guiding principles will be shared with all current participating organizations through current communication channels.
7.2 During the 4/13/2025 quarterly meeting, a discussion will be held to adopt these guiding principles.
7.3 All organizations that have attended a coalition meeting since February 2022 will be able to attend this meeting and vote on these principles. The voting process, as listed above, will be utilized to approve the guiding principles by at least 67% of the submitted votes as adoption is an amendment. Organizations that do not vote in the affirmative can choose not to join CCKC.
7.4 Five (5) days from the release of the final draft of this document, a vote to adopt will be published following the above voting structure.