Yaoi-Con subscribes to the idea that there is Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, thus we welcome all fans of yaoi who are age 18 and over. (With respect to the fannish world of Star Trek where the IDIC was first seen.) To expand on the IDIC with specific regard to our convention, Yaoi-Con celebrates and respects diversity in all forms. Yaoi-Con is a meeting place for our attendees to revel in the yaoi genre, regardless of background. We expect that our attendees are mature enough to treat all others at Yaoi-Con with the respect that serves to unite a previously under-served fanbase and community.

Everybody is here to have a good time, to meet people, and to enjoy being with others who also enjoy yaoi. In order to make this convention comfortable for all, we will spell out our Zero Tolerance policy towards prejudice, though we know that attendees at a Yaoi-Con are all nice people and would not actually behave like this.

Prejudicial remarks or behavior toward other con attendees, con staff, volunteers, hotel staff, guests, or simply anyone, on the grounds of sexual orientation (heterosexual, gay, lesbian, or bisexual), gender/gender identification, relationship orientation (monogamous or polyamorous), race, religion, disability, or ethnic background will not be tolerated at any time during the convention weekend. Regardless of whether or not programming and registration are open at the time the inappropriate behavior occurs. We have Zero Tolerance policy toward any such behavior, verbal or physical.

If it is brought to our attention and can be verified by witnesses, the person responsible will be banned from the current Yaoi-Con, all subsequent Yaoi-Cons, and all activities related to present and future Yaoi-Cons, including other Biseinen-ya run events.

CODE OF CONDUCT

Rules I — General Behavior

1.  Badge Responsibility

All attendees MUST wear and/or maintain their badges and security bracelets at all times. If a badge and/or bracelet is obtained and used by a minor or unauthorized/banned person to gain admission into the convention, the attendee to whom the badge/bracelet originally belonged to may be held liable for any damages incurred and/or risk barment from Yaoi-Con and any other Biseinen-ya events for life.

2.  Respect Hotel Regulations

In practice, that means quiet in the hallways after 11:00 P.M., no late night wild parties in the rooms, no trashing of hotel furnishings, and (needless to say except that we need to say it) no theft, shoplifting, physical violence, or other violations of the law.

3.  Respect Hotel Property and Convention Property

Naturally, anyone who damages their hotel room will be held financially responsible for the damages. Anyone who damages public hotel property (i.e., the lobbies or convention rooms) will be held responsible for the damages and be ejected from the Convention.  Depending on the extent of the damage, the Hotel can press charges against you for destruction of private property.  The Convention also has the option of initiating a permanent ban on the member.

4.  Respect the Rights of other Guests at the Hotel

Of course, you may want to read djs with your roommates until 4:00 A.M. Just keep the decibels down for the sake of the people in the next room trying to sleep. (The term "shrieking fangirl" should stay in the realm of metaphor, not reality.) If you want to schmooze with other fen, the video room will be open all night, and schmoozing (as well as appreciative comments about the yaoi guys on display) may be carried on there. Just as a general courtesy, when you and a group of friends meet and start talking, make sure you're not doing it in a place where other people are trying to get by, like a corridor or a doorway. Leave hallways and doorways clear, and go talk in the lobby or restaurants. If the hotel gets complaints from other guests about the behavior of con members, it's not likely that they'll have us back again.

5.  Be nice to the staff — they're doing their best

There are reasons why you may have to wait to get into the Dealers' Room, all of them having to do with what happens if a fire breaks out in the middle of an overcrowded room filled with paper products. There are reasons why you have to show your con ID before entering convention rooms, mostly having to do with the age-restricted material on display. (Like being carded at a bar, consider it a compliment.) Patience and politeness work wonders in smoothing the little wrinkles that appear at the best-regulated conventions. Arguing and getting mad, naturally, do not.

6.  Be nice to the fen — "Your fandom is OK, my fandom is OK."

If you must have an angry and heated debate over "is it 1x2 or 2x1?", be considerate of the surrounding fen and do it somewhere outside the convention space. Or, unfortunately, one of the red-shirted security team will have to escort you to somewhere outside the convention space and not let you back.

7.  Leave your weapons at home

While costume weaponry — as constrained by the cosplay rules and weapons policy — is welcome at the convention, leave your real weapons at home (this includes wooden, leather or plastic paddles, bats or any similarly designed implements). Don't risk having yourself removed from the convention. Trust us, you can enjoy the con without them.

8.  Contact us regarding complaints with dealers and staff

If you have a problem or a complaint about a dealer, please bring it to the attention of our Dealers’ Room Staff.  If you have a problem or complaint about a convention staff member, please speak to our security volunteers who will refer it at once to the security officer (if necessary). The staff, not the volunteers, will respond to all complaints professionally and immediately.

Rules II —  Guests

1.  Autographs and Sketches

The official guests will sign autographs at certain appointed times and places and ONLY at those times and places.

Autograph sessions may be ticketed, in which case only attendees who receive a ticket may obtain an autograph. We will announce in advance if sessions are ticketed and how to obtain a ticket.

Attendees will be limited to one item to be autographed. Acceptable items include the guests' published works or any guest-related items Yaoi-Con makes available for purchase at the con. Please do not bring program books, blank paper or shikishi.

Guests will be unable to do sketches for fans at any time. Please do not ask for one.

There will be NO exceptions to these rules. Even if the guest is polite and does not refuse your request, if the incident is reported —  and verified —  or observed by staff, you may be asked to leave the convention and risk being banned from future conventions.

2.  Photographs

Please consult the program book or schedule to see if we have indicated whether a guest prefers not to have his/her picture taken. If the guest does not want pictures taken, please honor his/her wishes. We will remind attendees at the beginning of each guest event if photographs are permitted.

No flash photography during guest events, please.

Do not hold up autograph sessions by posing for photographs with the guest after obtaining an autograph. To keep the line moving smoothly, and ensure that everyone gets their autographs, have someone take a picture of you and the guest while the latter is signing your item.

Photographs of guests may be posted as part of a "general con gallery" on your Web site, but not as part of an "About this guest" page. Many of our guests are publicity-shy and would be uncomfortable with the notoriety of being highlighted on a Web site.

3.  Filming

Filming is not allowed at Yaoi-Con. Do not attempt to film guest panels or autograph sessions.

4.  General Deportment

Be considerate of our official guests and do NOT visit them in their hotel rooms or congregate outside their rooms. Guests need their privacy. Their heads hurt from all the English floating around them. They're hideously jetlagged. (The hideousness of the jetlag going west to east has to be experienced to be believed.)  If the they want to socialize with fans, they'll do it in the lobby.

Guests will usually be accompanied by an official translator if they are in convention areas. Please do not think of the translator as a license to pepper the guests with questions, but do listen to any directions the translator may for you. Our translators are there to ensure the guests are well-treated and enjoy themselves, so please do not make their jobs more difficult than they already are.

Do not interrupt guests if they are taking a meal or talking with someone, and do not follow them around the convention (or outside) like a shadow. It's impolite and very disconcerting. Stalker-like behavior will NOT be tolerated.

A general rule when talking to any Japanese person: don't look them straight in the eyes. It feels rude and aggressive and intimidating to them, unless they come from Osaka. (No-one knows why Osakans do it differently, but they do.) Since you don't know where the guests come from, keep the eye contact to a minimum.

Do not ask the guests inappropriate, offensive or overly personal questions, either directly or through the translator (who will probably politely decline to translate for you).

It's considered nice and quite usual to bring a little present to your favorite guest. That's a little present (something less than $10), because don't forget it has to fit into the guest's luggage.

If you have more questions on what is considered acceptable or unacceptable behaviors that have not been covered here, please email us and we will look into it for you.