We’d like to share with you the progress on our Consent Project, an initiative dedicated to refining and reinforcing the values that make Hacienda a safer, inclusive, and vibrant space. Your feedback has been invaluable, and we’re committed to ensuring that Hacienda remains a sanctuary for exploration, connection, and community. Below is a summary of the findings from the feedback form, our values and current initiatives, and our next steps.

Part 1: Feedback from the community.

We’re thrilled to hear that many of you feel Hacienda is a “safe place” and a “welcoming” environment, words that consistently appeared in your feedback. The sense of community here is one of our greatest strengths, and it’s clear that our efforts to create a space where people feel at home and part of a community are resonating. Our consent-first policy and the presence of Guardians, orientations, and consent talks have been particularly appreciated. These aspects are foundational to our commitment to safety and trust, ensuring that Hacienda is a safer environment for sexual exploration.

Hacienda’s diverse themes and vibes are also a significant draw, offering members a platform for personal growth, confidence, and open sexual expression. The supportive setting allows for meaningful connections, and we’re pleased to hear that many of you find value in the culture of dialogue and freedom we promote.

We’ve also heard your concerns and suggestions for improvement. Some members have voiced the need for an independent body to handle complaints and help to ensure unbiased and fair treatment for all.

Inclusivity remains a key focus, with several advocating for more active involvement of BIPOC members in planning and decision-making processes. Enhanced consent training has been another frequent request, with suggestions for making such training a requirement for membership through virtual or in-person workshops.

Lastly, many of you expressed a desire for more non-play community-building events like games, trivia nights, and field trips, which would foster connections beyond sexual activities.

Part 2: Hacienda’s values and high-level goals.  

With the help of consent educators Jo and Mia (link), we’ve articulated new values that will guide Hacienda’s efforts moving forward:

1.  Sexual Liberation

At Hacienda, we cultivate beautiful, indulgent spaces where we celebrate sexuality and encourage authentic, shame free self-expression. Whatever your experience level, we have something for you. From workshops to play parties, from living spaces to social events. We invite you to join us on a journey of self-discovery and pleasure. Explore erotic play and connection in a sex-positive environment.

2.  Consent

Hacienda is a consent opt-in space, where all touch is to be mutually desired and agreed upon, never presumed. 

We encourage people to explore and expand their comfort zones. Alongside these gratifying experiences of pleasure and connection, comes risk. We believe hedonism and responsibility can exist side by side.

Hacienda promotes communication and mutual respect within our spaces. We believe the entire community shares in the responsibility of creating safer spaces. We provide education about consent, negotiation, play party etiquette and much more through workshops and pre-party orientation talks. 

Our Guardians are also an important pillar of our community. Guardians are trained volunteers who staff every play party to protect everyone’s comfort and safety. All attendees are encouraged to connect with a Guardian if you need anything at all. 

Read more about our consent culture here (link to full consent policy). If you have any issue to report, you can file an incident report here. (link to incident report or policies) 

3. Community & Connections:

Our spaces exist to bring together like minded sex positive people. Meet new potential friends, lovers, and collaborators! A Hacienda event can be a single night of meaningful interaction, the start of a beautiful new relationship, or a celebration of the pleasures of life with people you love. 

Our BIPOC and LGBTQ+ initiatives provide a sense of belonging and connection for and across our diverse sex positive communities.

Our High-Level Goals

1. Rebuild Trust: We’re committed to rebuilding trust within our community by taking the time to listen and receive feedback, analyze our current state, brainstorm improvements, and communicate the progress along the way.
2. Clarify Responsibilities: We aim to clearly define what Hacienda is responsible for as an organization and what falls within the individual guest’s responsibilities. We will do this by articulating our expectations, our process for handling consent violations, and possible outcomes when a violation does occur.
3. Focus on education and community building: We will continue our efforts to educate our community on sex-positive values, best practices, and the ways in which we can all contribute to maintaining a safer, respectful environment. We will create opportunities for people to connect and socialize in a non-play environment to forge bonds that extend past sexual experiences.

Part 3: Next Steps

We are actively gathering resources and exploring how other communities handle consent issues. We welcome any input or examples from other communities that you believe we should consider (email us at [email protected]) .

After collecting this information, we will conduct a brainstorming session to discuss how our policies and procedures may evolve. We’ll then move into implementing these updates and communicating any changes to the wider community.

Thank you for supporting us while we take the time to work on this important project and ensure that Hacienda remains a place of growth, connection, and safety for everyone.