Privacy Policy

You're safe with us.

Effective date: July 3, 2026 · Who we are: Queering ANCs is a program of Capital Stonewall Democrats. Reach us about privacy at [email protected]. See also how your data works.

Our community has real reasons to care about privacy. For many of us, privacy is safety. So we built this platform to collect as little as possible. It keeps you in control of what's visible and never sells your data or uses it for advertising. This policy explains in plain language what we collect. It also covers why we collect it. And it covers who we share it with and the choices you have.

The short version

  • We collect only what we need to help you explore and run for office.
  • You are private by default. Nothing about you is public unless you choose to make it public.
  • We don't sell your data or run ads. We don't use cross-site advertising trackers.
  • We use your address only to find your district: we don't store your home address.
  • You can see or correct your information anytime. You can export or delete it anytime. You can opt out of emails anytime.
  • We never knowingly reveal that you're using this platform, and we never deadname you.

What we collect

When you sign in. Your email address, and (if you use "Sign in with Google") basic Google profile information (name, email). We use magic links and sessions to keep you signed in.

When you take the readiness quiz. Your answers, including any issues you rank and reasons you share. If you enter an address to find your single-member district (SMD), we use it only to look up your district and do not store the full address: we keep just your district/ward if you're signed in.

As you learn and plan. We keep your module progress and your saved "why." We keep your campaign plan and tasks, plus your signature counts and target dates. For petition signatures, we track your numbers, not your signers' personal information. Signer details stay on your paper petitions and go to the DC Board of Elections rather than to us.

Well-being check-ins. If you choose to share a weekly check-in, we keep it private to you and use it only to offer support and tailor your plan. It is never scored or ranked. It is never shared. You can delete it anytime.

Your profile and any public content. You may build a candidate profile or add a photo or logo. You may post to a shared board or the "Reasons We're Running" wall. In each case you choose its visibility. You can keep it private. You can make it cohort-only or public. Public content is opt-in and reviewed. You can remove it at any time. We never publish your home address.

When you ask for help. If you contact a mentor or the team through the support form, we collect the topic(s) you choose. We also collect anything you choose to write and how to reach you. This goes to the Capital Stonewall Democrats mentor team and is never published.

When you give. Donations are processed by our payment provider, GoodChange. We receive confirmation and basic details to thank you and keep records; we do not collect or store your card number. Gifts support the program, not individual candidates.

Automatically. Standard technical data (like IP address and browser type) processed by our host to run and secure the site. We also use Google Analytics 4 to understand how the site is used so we can improve it. It sets cookies and sends usage data to Google, with IP anonymization on. We honor Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control: if your browser sends either signal, analytics never loads. No cookies load and no data goes to Google. We do not use cross-site advertising trackers and we never serve ads. We use a bot-protection check on some forms.

Preview mode. Before you sign in or submit a form, anything you enter stays in your browser only and is not sent to our servers. You can clear it anytime.

How we use your information

We use your information to provide the platform. That means your account and your learning. It means your plan and your tools. We use it to support you through mentor requests and check-ins. That includes reminders you've opted into. We use it to communicate with you through transactional email like sign-in links. If you opt in we also send program updates. We use it to keep the platform safe and working. And we use it to improve our resources.

Improving resources. Genuinely. We mean this: what we learn from you, we use to build stronger programs and better support for people like you. That means clearer resources and better mentorship. It also means tools that actually meet the moment you're in. We do this with aggregated, de-identified information such as the most common topics people ask for help with. We use it to decide what to build next and to show our collective impact. We never do this in a way that identifies or exposes you. We use your individual words or story only with your explicit, separate consent. Even then we anonymize by default. Helping you (and the next person who runs) is the only reason we hold your information.

What we never do.

We will never share your private information with anyone for any purpose. That covers your address and your contact details. It covers your identity and your well-being check-ins. It covers anything else you give us. The only exceptions are the narrow legal ones in "When we share information" below. We do not sell or rent your data. We do not serve ads or allow advertisers to target you. We do not use cross-site advertising trackers. We do not make your participation or identity public without your opt-in. We do not make your personal details public without your opt-in. We do not store your home address or your payment card number. We do not out you and we never deadname you. Your information is here to help you and for nothing else. You are safe with us.

One thing we can't shield.

We want to be honest about the one place some of your information becomes public, and it is not us sharing it. When you file to run for office, the DC Board of Elections makes certain information a matter of public record. That typically means your full legal name. It also means the home address on your voter registration and the contact information on your filing. That is the law for everyone who appears on a ballot. It is outside our control and it is never something we hand over. What we will do is tell you exactly what becomes public before you file. We help you prepare for it. We point you to the DC Board of Elections for any questions or options about your address. And we support you in running as publicly or as quietly as you choose.

When we share information

We share only with service providers who help us run the platform, under agreements that limit them to that purpose:

  • Cloudflare: hosting and database and security.
  • Google Analytics: understanding how the site is used (cookies; IP-anonymized; disabled entirely when your browser sends Do Not Track / Global Privacy Control).
  • Resend: sending transactional and (opt-in) program email.
  • Action Network: managing opt-in email updates.
  • Google: "Sign in with Google" if you choose it. We also use Google Workspace, where we keep our own access-controlled backup of form submissions (so we never lose your request).
  • GoodChange: processing donations.

We may share information if required by law: for example a valid legal request. We may also share it to protect the safety and rights of our community. We will resist overbroad requests where we lawfully can. We do not share your information for anyone's advertising.

Your choices and rights

You can, at any time: see the information we hold about you; correct it; export it; delete your account and data; opt out of program emails (transactional sign-in emails are required to use the account); and control what's visible about you, including a "run quieter" mode and pausing reminders. When signed in, use Manage your data in the "Run quieter" panel to see or download your information. You can also remove it there, one category at a time or your whole account. Or contact us at [email protected]. Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights over your information. Those can include the right to access it. They can also include the right to correct or delete it.

How long we keep information

We keep your account information until you delete your account or ask us to. We keep support requests for up to 24 months. Aggregated or anonymized information does not identify you. It may be kept indefinitely.

How we protect it

We use encryption in transit and access controls. We use bot protection and reputable infrastructure. No system is perfectly secure, but we minimize what we collect precisely so there is less to protect.

Sensitive information and safety

We treat information about your identity and well-being with particular care. You control your visibility at every step. Public content is opt-in and removable. We design to reduce risk for LGBTQ+ users. If you choose a wellbeing or safety topic when asking for help, we surface support resources right away and handle your request with extra care.

Users under 18

Some people eligible to run for ANC may be 16 or 17. If that's you, you're welcome here. The same protections and minimal-collection practices apply. This platform is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect their information.

Other sites we link to

We link to trusted sources like the DC Board of Elections (dcboe.org) for official voting and candidate information. Those sites have their own privacy policies, which govern your use of them.

Changes to this policy

If we make material changes, we'll update this page and the effective date. Where appropriate we'll also let you know.

Contact us

Questions or requests about your privacy: [email protected].