Penn Quarter, Washington, DC
A debate format where ideas compete on merit
Penn Quarter Rules is an adaptation of the Chatham House Rule for live, in-person argument: candid discussion, optional attribution, and audience participation that does not require anyone to identify themselves.
Where this actually stands
- No event has been held. Not one. There is no schedule, no past recording of our own, and no leaderboard.
- No date is set. When one is, the people on this list hear about it first.
- Registering is not a ticket. It puts you on a list. It promises no entry, costs nothing, and there is nothing to pay.
The rules
The ideas are public. The people are not.
The event is livestreamed — the arguments are meant to travel. Participants use pseudonyms in the live chat and the forum, and nobody appears on the stage or on camera unless they choose to. Anonymity is respected, not merely permitted.
Share the ideas, not the names
Arguments can be discussed anywhere. Attributing a specific statement to a specific person requires that person’s consent. When in doubt, it stays anonymous.
Contrarian positions are the point
No topic is off-limits, speakers are expected to defend what they assert, and the goal is truth-seeking rather than agreement.
Participate without identifying yourself
Audience reactions and votes run over a local mesh network using temporary IDs. You can speak from the floor if you want to; anonymity is the default, not the exception.
The format in full — how an evening runs, how the room works, and how contributions are scored.
Register your interest
Email only. We will send one message to confirm you meant it, and then nothing until there is something worth telling you.
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