Savannah Derby Devils
Values Statement
We, the Savannah Derby Devils, recognize that as members of a large, diverse, and global community we must clearly communicate our values as an organization. No change or forward progress will be made if we choose to remain silent for fear of upsetting those who wish to be neutral. We present this values statement not only to inform and guide the decisions and behaviors of our members but to make it clear to our community what is important to us. We intend for these values to shape our daily culture and to establish standards of conduct for each of our members.
Anti-Racism and Black Lives Matter
We are staunch anti-racists and stand with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. We aspire to support and empower those who fight for a world free of anti-Blackness, where every Black person has the social, economic, and political power to thrive. When we say “Black Lives Matter,” we understand that the work we do for freedom and justice for Black people benefits all people by extension. We do not abide by any form of racism, be it overt racism or subtle racism. We are not “colorblind.” We see and value BIPOC unique experiences in the world. We take responsibility for working for a more just society for all, a society where one person’s disadvantage is not another person's advantage unfairly earned by the color of their skin.
Police Reform
We understand that police are a necessary and valuable component of our community. We also understand the need to address systemic issues within the criminal justice system that disproportionately affect minority and vulnerable communities. We support evidence-based reforms to increase accountability and transparency in law enforcement along with an expansion of culturally responsive social alternatives to address the needs of these communities.
Immigration
As a part of a global community, we celebrate diversity and believe in creating a welcoming space for everyone regardless of ethnicity or immigration status. We believe immigrants make us stronger as a community and we advocate for human rights. We believe that no human is illegal and so an individual’s immigration status does not exclude them from league membership or participation. We strive to support ethnic diversity and to address barriers to participation.
LGBTQ+ Rights
We express a similar sentiment about gender as put out by the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, WFTDA, in that we are committed to “inclusive and anti-discrimination practices in relation to all transgender women, intersex women, and gender expansive participants, and aim to ensure that all skater’s, volunteers’, and employees’ rights are respected and protected.” We will “actively work to promote a climate that is welcoming and inclusive of transgender, intersex, and gender expansive participants. Any conduct which fosters a hostile environment for any participant on the basis of gender identity will not be tolerated.”
WFTDA Statement About Gender: click here to read more
Reproductive Rights
We believe in bodily autonomy and that control over reproduction is both a basic need and a basic right for all. We support laws that allow people to access the full range of reproductive health care — including safe, legal abortion. We are firmly against abortion bans and believe that that these bans violate sexual and reproductive health and rights. When we say we are pro-reproductive rights, we are saying that we believe it is okay for people to have the ability to choose abortion as an option for an unplanned pregnancy — even if we would not choose abortion for ourselves. Decisions about whether to choose adoption, end a pregnancy, or continue a pregnancy should be made by a pregnant person with the counsel of their family, their faith, and their health care provider. Politicians should not be involved in anyone’s personal medical decisions about their reproductive health or pregnancy.
PC Culture
We acknowledge that the term “PC Culture,” referring to the tendency to avoid using certain words or phrases in order to not offend, tends to have a negative connotation, as it involves a perceived censorship of the freedom of speech. However, we would like to embrace the idea that we are always working as hard as possible to acknowledge the struggles, trials, life experiences, and microaggressions experienced by individuals in marginalized social groups and respect their voices in person and across social media. Members of our league are expected to refrain from saying or expressing opinions that are perceived as harmful in any way to any other person, but especially to those that have historically experienced a silencing of their voices and experiences.
