Taunton gay group (TGG) GUIDELINES
We don't wish to be boring and set rules and I hate it when any of us have to be the 'fun police', but we do want everyone who takes part in anything organised under the Taunton Gay Group name, to have a safe, comfortable and enjoyable time, especially for new people that come along. So it's not about rules, but just about awareness of people around you and the venues we meet up in, so here's a few things to request please:
Thank you for your help in making this work.
- Not everyone may be out, they may not want to talk about their gender/identity, sexual orientation or sexuality, or they may identify in a way you don't fully understand. Prejudices don't always come from 'straight' people so please respect others and anything they may disclose, that you may know or 'think' you know. In particular, anyone demonstrating discriminatory behaviour against another person or section of the LGBTQ+ umbrella, for example, transphobic remarks, bi-phobia, racism etc. will not be welcome at our 'inclusive' events or on our social media networks. No one should have to defend who they are or be forced to explain their existence. Bullying towards anyone about their characteristics is not ok, and you may likely be asked to leave and/or not return and this is non-negiotable. Let's be the best allies we can for each other, if you want to know about terms you're unfamiliar with you may find Stonewall's Glossary of Terms helpful.
- Please respect people's pronouns if they state them - if you get it wrong when you first meet someone apologise and move on (don't make a big thing of it), but it does matter, so you may find this website www.mypronouns.org useful.
- We can't stop you drinking like a thirsty fish, but bear in mind if you do fall over it may be the pub security that pick you up off the floor and they might ban you! We'll be meeting in public venues so please be respectful to other punters in terms of behaviour, loudness and appropriate language etc. Basically, try not to make others feel uncomfortable.
- Please respect people's personal space as harassment, unwanted contact, questioning, persistent advances (verbal, online or physical) will not be tolerated, and not everyone likes being hugged or touched, so read the signs. Bear in mind some people have hidden health issues, mental and/or physical so you may not appreciate the impact.
- Keep yourself safe - don't share or give out personal information until you've got to know someone better and make sure you can arrive and get home safely - never drink and drive!
- When using any of the TGG social media pages/accounts please be aware of what you are commenting or messaging and the impression it may give. TGG admin reserves the right to delete posts that are considered inappropriate or block users if behaviour is repeatedly unwanted or we feel puts the aims/ethos of the group at risk. If anyone has concerns about any activity please email us and we will take any reports seriously and act accordingly if there is clear justification, or signpost as appropriate. Never give anyone money if they ask you as there are lots of scammers/scam profiles about online.
- If you have a personal issue with anyone who attends or you see out in the town, an ex-partner etc, please deal with it/leave it outside of the group if possible. If something is making you uncomfortable which may impact the group you may tell us confidentially so we can try to help or point to support.
- Disability or impairment should not be a barrier to attending, but you are best placed to decide if a meet up or event trip is for you. It's your own responsibility to check venues for accessibility and to ensure you can get there and back safely and/or organise any additional help or assistance you need. Sorry but we can't offer specific support (e.g. 1:1 befriending, chaperone, personal assistance, accommodation) or advice to individuals as we are just a community group arranging to meet in a public place, so do not have capacity to support high needs of individuals. If you are looking for support of this kind, please try our support and information pages for details of organisations that may be of help. Of course, if anyone in our company feels unwell we will do our best to look after you and seek assistance from venue staff/emergency services as necessary, as we would with any member of the public in our vicinity. Let us know if we need a 'heads-up' about known conditions if you're happy to share that, and ensure you have a mobile phone with you in case you need to contact someone.
- PRIVACY/DATA PROTECTION NOTICE: I'm sure no-one will have escaped hearing about the new 2018 GDPR regulations and data protection in general. It's a confusing position for informal groups, but it is important to clarify our commitment. TGG will not be actively collecting or storing any personal/sensitive information, so if you email us for example, we'll only use this to correspond back on your query - your email address won't get added to a spreadsheet or database and we won't start mailing you about other things. We are not at this stage planning to carry out emailings but if we do it'll be 'opt in' and only with your explicit consent, and there will be clear guidance on opting back out. Equally, whether you contact us via email or our social media platforms, we will not use your information for other gains, store it elsewhere, use it to profile people, or share it with anyone else - either to other members of the public or any 3rd party organisations. If you share any sensitive information about yourself with TGG it will not be manipulated or shared. But please be aware that if you use social media such as Facebook or Twitter, they are the data controller and obviously your profile, messages and posts are in their hands, so check your privacy settings and only share publicly what you don't mind being out in the public domain. Our site access passcodes are held only by the founder of TGG and not shared. TGG understands the importance of protecting people's personal information, and is committed to doing everything practical and realistic to ensure that any information which becomes known to TGG is kept safe and secure. If you have any concerns about your data please contact us.
Thank you for your help in making this work.