Governance
Governance Structure
TransHarbor is a democratically-governed, user-owned nonprofit platform.
Legal Foundation
Wyoming Unincorporated Nonprofit Association (UNA)
TransHarbor operates as a Wyoming Unincorporated Nonprofit Association under Wyoming Statute ยง17-22-101 et seq.
Name: TransHarbor Unincorporated Nonprofit Association
Purpose: Operating a user-owned, democratically-governed community platform for trans and nonbinary people
Protected Principles
1. Trans and Nonbinary Centered
This platform exists for and is governed by trans and nonbinary people.
2. User Ownership and Cooperative Governance
TransHarbor is owned collectively by its users, not by private individuals, corporations, or investors. Active members have a meaningful voice in how the platform operates through democratic processes.
3. Anti-Discrimination and Safety
Zero tolerance for harassment, hate speech, discrimination, or behavior that threatens community safety.
4. Privacy and Data Sovereignty
User data belongs to users. We will never sell user data or compromise privacy for profit.
5. Democratic Decision-Making
Important platform decisions are made through transparent, democratic processes where voting members participate.
Membership Structure
All Users
Everyone who creates an account has:
- Full access to platform features
- Protection under Community Guidelines
- Ability to report violations
- Right to delete their account and data
Voting Members
Active participants become voting members when they meet these criteria:
Requirements:
- Posted at least 3 times
- Account at least 60 days old
- Posted within the last 60 days
- No active moderation strikes
Rights:
- Submit governance proposals
- Vote on all proposals
- Shape platform policies and features
Status Updates:
- Automatically calculated and updated daily
- Inactivity (no posts in 60 days) removes voting rights, restored when posting resumes
- Moderation strikes remove voting rights, restored when strikes expire
Democratic Governance Process
Proposal Types
Standard Proposals (Simple majority)
- New features or improvements
- Policy changes
- Moderation guideline adjustments
Protected Principle Changes (Supermajority: 2/3 + 30% quorum)
- Changes to core values
- Changes to voting membership criteria
- Changes to proposal/voting processes
- Privacy policy changes
Proposal Submission
Who can submit: Voting members
Limits: One proposal per voting member per week
Proposal Lifecycle
Phase 1: Discussion Period (7 days)
- Proposal visible to all members
- Comments and feedback
- Author may edit based on feedback
Phase 2: Voting Period (7 days)
- Voting options: Yes, No, Abstain
- Individual votes anonymous
- Aggregate counts visible in real-time
- Can change vote during voting period
Phase 3: Resolution
Standard proposals:
- Pass: More Yes than No votes
- Fail: More No than Yes votes
Protected principle changes:
- Pass: 2/3 Yes votes AND 30% participation
- Fail: Less than 2/3 Yes OR less than 30% participation
Phase 4: Implementation
Organizers implement passed proposals with regular progress updates.
Contact
Governance questions: governance@transharbor.org
Support: support@transharbor.org