Updates from Reid Mihalko’s Accountability Pod

This is an update/behind the scenes transparency report from Reid’s pod. We want folks to know what’s happening and why so that quiet doesn’t feel like this work has lapsed.

We are having weekly pod calls to answer any questions that either Reid or community members have, set direction and intention for next steps, oversee any business or community-related items and check in about progress made. We have been assigning reading that we find relevant, giving suggestions on therapy direction and talking with Reid directly to see how he understands what he is learning and how that can be implemented into his future interactions and work. Ideally, this is a process that changes him, not simply parrot back readings. Another aspect of these pod only calls is trying to check each other while doing our best to ensure that the community feels safer and that we’re making headway toward transformative and restorative justice.

We are following a variety of methods toward this goal. Here are some of the writings and guidelines that we’re relying on to guide us in this process.

https://f12network.com/accountability-process-primer/

http://www.creative-interventions.org/tools/toolkit/

https://www.mncasa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Becoming-Victim-Centered.pdf (linked updated May 2019)

https://www.mncasa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Core-Intervention-Principles.pdf (linked updated May 2019)

https://communityaccountability.wordpress.com/social-justice-journal-issue/article-downloads/ (Note, academic focused)

http://www.incite-national.org/page/community-accountability

We are assigning, then reading and giving feedback on homework assignments from Reid. We have begun to audit all of Reid’s teaching materials. We are working on reframing Reid’s understanding of consent to a more power-aware model that applies intersectionality principles for greater understanding the nuances and impacts of power at play both in his personal and professional life. Reid also has a large “reading list”, compiled of audio, video, and text suggestions from the pod, the community and his own findings. We are working on making this list publicly available.

We think it’s important to note that this is a practice and as such will take time. There will be periods when there’s lots to share with the community and the sex ed industry, and times when Reid is working with us and in therapy but that there’s not much to see from the outside of the process. We want to remain clear that this is an open and continuing work and that if anything changes in commitment or in engagement, we will make that public right away.

We welcome any questions or critique about this process and we are committed to sharing the nuts and bolts of this process with our community. We are grateful to those who are also checking in with, and checking us in the process and hope that this will continue. We are especially grateful to the work being undertaken by Kelly’s support pod to record and analyze the patterns of harm that have taken place over the years. Without this highlighting of patterns, real change work would not be possible.