Community principles for Sensitive and Queer Village
At Sensitive and Queer, we believe that community isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a living, breathing space where people should feel safe, seen, and supported. That’s why we created these six guiding principles: Radical Respect, Safer Spaces, Compassion Over Perfection, Consent Culture, Embracing and Empowering, and Diversity in Queerness.
These aren’t just nice words to put on a poster, of course I did though! They’re the foundation of how we show up for each other, especially in a world that often misunderstands or dismisses queer, sensitive, and neurodivergent experiences. Here’s why each of these principles matters so deeply:
1. Radical Respect
We honour all identities, pronouns, boundaries, and lived experiences. Everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and valued without needing to explain or justify themselves.
For so many of us who are queer, trans, neurodivergent, or highly sensitive, we’ve been taught to shrink ourselves to fit in. To apologise for who we are. This principle is a refusal to keep doing that. It’s about making space for the full, unapologetic truth of who we are and treating that truth with care and reverence.
2. Safer Spaces
We co-create an environment where emotional safety comes first and where being real, vulnerable, or imperfect is welcomed, not judged. It is courageous.
‘Safe’ is never a guarantee, but we can commit to doing what’s in our control to make spaces safer. This means supporting marginalised voices, taking accountability, listening deeply, and course-correcting when harm happens. Safety isn’t static, it’s a practice.
3. Compassion Over Perfection
We lead with kindness. Mistakes are part of being human. What matters most is showing up with honesty, care, and a willingness to learn.
We’ve all internalised the pressure to be perfect, especially in activist and healing spaces where doing things ‘right’ can feel high stakes. But real growth doesn’t come from fear of messing up, it comes from being able to make mistakes, learn from them, and grow. This principle reminds us that what matters is the intention to learn, not flawless execution.
4. Consent Culture
We ask before offering advice, emotional support, or feedback. Boundaries are respected and upheld as a key part of community care.
Too often, support gets offered without consent, which can feel more invasive than helpful. This principle is about restoring agency. It’s about respecting that people know what’s best for themselves, and that true care means checking in first. Consent isn’t just about sex, it’s about everyday interactions, too.
5. Embracing and Empowering
Sensitivity is not a flaw, it’s a superpower. Empathy, depth, and emotional insight are valued qualities that guide how we connect and lead.
Empowerment doesn’t come from someone ‘fixing’ you. It comes from being witnessed, affirmed, and supported in stepping into your power, whatever that looks like for you. Here, we celebrate self-expression and personal growth without comparison or pressure.
6. Diversity in Queerness
We recognise that queerness and sensitivity intersect with race, class, disability, neurodivergence, and more. Every layered identity is welcome and valued.
We honour the full spectrum of queer identities, expressions, and experiences. Queerness doesn’t look, sound, or feel just one way, and no one identity holds more legitimacy than another. This community welcomes everyone across the LGBTQIA+ umbrella, including those who are trans, nonbinary, bi, ace, pan, questioning, quiet, neurodivergent, or still exploring.
We also recognise that queerness doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Our experiences are shaped by race, disability, class, gender, culture, body size, and more. We are committed to building a space where Black, Indigenous, and people of colour, disabled and chronically ill folks, neurodivergent people, and anyone living at the intersections feel seen, respected, and uplifted. There’s no gatekeeping here: all of you are welcome.
Why it matters
These principles stem from my own lived experience and the countless stories I’ve heard from others who are trying to find spaces where they don’t have to brace themselves. I want to build a community where we can exhale. Where safety isn’t conditional. Where we feel safe enough to have fun and play. Where we treat each other like whole people who are messy, brilliant, healing, and human.
If these principles speak to you, you’re in the right place. This is the kind of community we’re nurturing together. Not perfectly, but with heart, intention, and care.
🌈 If you’re interested in joining a community for Highly Sensitive Queer people like you, check out the Community page and join the waitlist to get updates of what’s coming!
