Our Values

What is The Unspeakeasy all about? Will I fit in?

It’s natural to have these questions when you’re considering going on a retreat or joining us online.

We are a diverse group of women, and there is no particular “type of person” who joins the community. But we all share values that encourage open dialogue, intellectual honesty, nuance and mutual respect. These values guide how we interact with each other and shape the discussions that make our community unique.

THE UNSPEAKEASY VALUES

  • NUANCE

    Things are rarely ever black and white, and we love to explore all the gray areas in The Unspeakeasy.

  • GOOD FAITH

    We always strive to engage in good faith. This means that we assume people are making their arguments with good intentions and we respond with good intentions ourselves.

  • CURIOSITY & OPEN INQUIRY

    What makes The Unspeakeasy great is that it is filled with women who value critical thinking and know that almost nothing is as simple as "good versus bad." We know that many things can be true at once. Above all, our members like to ask questions — especially when no one else is.

  • AGREEING TO DISAGREE

    Not everyone in The Unspeakeasy agrees on everything, and that's what makes it great. When we disagree, we can view it as a disagreement without viewing the other person as a monster.

  • HUMILITY

    In our community, there is no shame in admitting you might be wrong or don't have all the answers. We encourage our members to engage in discussions with a willingness to change their minds. We also honor personal experiences and make room for emotional responses while trying our best to separate emotion from fact. (And recognizing that this is not always possible.)

  • FREEDOM OF SPEECH

    We're committed to protecting our members' freedom of speech to articulate their ideas, opinions, and sincerely held beliefs without fear of retaliation or censorship. At times, community members will say things that others disagree with — and may even find distasteful — but we believe this freedom of speech helps us develop a better synthesis of ideas.

  • PRIVACY

    What happens in the community, stays in the community. Many of the women in this group find themselves here because they want to be open and vulnerable with their ideas. We respect each other's privacy, don't share personally identifying details with anyone outside the community, and under no circumstances share screenshots or recordings of in-house events. Any member who violates this policy is subject to immediate removal.

  • MUTUAL RESPECT

    Not everyone will agree on everything in The Unspeakeasy, but we choose to respect everyone regardless of their life experiences, political or religious beliefs, opinions, race, age, profession, education, who they vote for or what media they consume.

  • WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE YOUR MIND

    It happens to the best of us.