Welcome to the Bureau of Erotic Discourse (B.E.D.), a sex-positive group dedicated to promoting a culture of consent at Burning Man and beyond. Nested under Burning Man Emergency Services, our work support camp is entirely volunteer-run. Our mission is to ensure that every participant can experience the magic of Burning Man and other gatherings in a civic, respectful, and radically inclusive environment.
What We Do:
Consent Education: Through workshops, discussions, and educational materials, we provide comprehensive information on consent and respectful interactions.
BEDucator Program: We train and equip volunteer Camp Consent Educators, a.k.a. BEDucators, who can share their knowledge and promote consent culture within their camps and organizations.
Support and Resources: We offer support and resources to anyone who needs guidance on issues related to consent, ensuring that help is always available on-playa. We have a small year-round team that continues our volunteer efforts in the default world and at a growing number of regional burns.
Events and Activities: From our 24/7 lounge and consent video booth to our online program, we create spaces where participants can learn, relax, and engage in meaningful conversations about consent.
Mission
Prevent sexual harassment and assault in gatherings, events, and organizations.
We want a community where we are free to be ourselves no matter our gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, STI status, disability, or background.
Educate consent practices long before getting behind closed doors.
Empower our community to speak up and create supportive groups.
Identify resources for survivors and leaders to do their due diligence to hold accountability.
Vision
Create a future where BED's mission is fulfilled, thanks to a widespread cultural shift that naturally upholds our values.
The BEDucator Program remains our gifted resource for empowering new and established leaders to uphold consent as a baseline of respect.
Every region of the burn has a BED Department Lead and adopts our Consent Enforcement Process
Default world organizations use our training to create a safer communities.
The 11th Principle of Burning Man
We believe Consent is the 11th Principle of Burning Man. We believe we can show people how to express themselves by normalizing the conversation surrounding Consent. When our community feels as comfortable discussing Consent as they do discussing food, everyone will benefit.
We believe Consent works best when discussed upfront
By having the conversation before anybody steps foot on the playa we strive to foster trust and understanding so that everyone can:
Feel safe to explore—sexually and otherwise
Confident about expressing boundaries
Empowered to speak up
Conditioned to hearing “no”
Consent for any physical engagement (touching, hugging, dancing, etc.) is required from everyone within our camp. Without a freely given, specific, informed, and enthusiastic “YES”, there is no consent. Consent is always reversible and retractable at any time. Violations of an individual’s boundaries may result in a Teachable Moment or immediate removal from the camp with the potential never to be allowed to return.
Ready to get in BED with us?
#SupportBED
We are a grassroots 501C3 Non-Profit Organization and your donation helps us keep our services a gift. All donations are tax-deductible. Our software, hosting, and storage add up, and we keep our camp dues low as a thank you to our volunteers who camp with us. If you found the BEDucator Program helpful please consider supporting or sharing our campaign! Thank you!