To foster a safe, secure, inclusive, and welcoming environment for LGBTQIA+ individuals within our community. This agreement signifies our commitment to treating all LGBTQIA+ customers and employees with respect and dignity while acknowledging and supporting their specific needs. 

As a New Bern Pride LGBTQIA+ Safe Space or Business, pledges: 

● To create a safe and welcoming space for all patrons, regardless of gender identity1, gender expression2, or sexual orientation3. 

● To uphold a zero-tolerance policy against any form of harassment or discrimination4 based on LGBTQIA+ identity or perceived identity, toward both patrons and employees. 

● To maintain non-discriminatory hiring and employment practices, ensuring a workplace that is inclusive of all identities. And, where applicable, to provide nonbinary pronoun options5 and/or avoid requiring gender selection on forms and applications. 

● To actively respect gender identities and use the pronouns and preferred names of all employees and patrons, regardless of their legal name or gender marker. 

● To maintain discretion and privacy of patrons’ and employees’ LGBTQIA+ status. 

● To, within ability, allow patrons and employees to utilize the restroom that aligns with their gender identity and/or make single-occupancy restrooms all-gendered7. And, where applicable, to make hygiene products (such as tampons and pads) accessible regardless of restroom choice. 

● To, where possible, extend health insurance and other benefits to same-sex and same-gender partners. 

● To, within ability, connect employees with appropriate support groups, mental health providers, or legal resources upon request, with privacy and without judgment. 

● To visibly support and engage with LGBTQIA+ holidays and observances in marketing, decor, merchandise, etc. 

● To publicly display/state LGBTQIA+ inclusion policies and practices. This can be in the form of a prominently displayed New Bern Pride Safe Space/Business sticker (at minimum), but additional messaging on websites, social media, employee handbook, etc. is encouraged. 

Definitions:

(1) Gender Identity: A person's internal sense of being male, female, transgender, genderqueer, or something else entirely independent of a person's assigned sex at birth or physical anatomy. 

(2) Gender Expression: How a person outwardly expresses their gender identity through clothing, hairstyle, mannerisms, etc.; not necessarily reflecting a person's biological sex or gender identity. 

(3) Sexual Orientation: A person's physical, romantic, or emotional attraction to same-sex, different-sex, or multiple genders. 

(4) Harassment & Discrimination: Harassment is unwelcome conduct directed at someone based on a protected characteristic (like race, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity) that creates a hostile or offensive environment. Discrimination is the act of treating a person differently or denying them opportunities because of their protected characteristic and can be intentional or unintentional. 

(5) Pronoun: A word that takes the place of a noun (e.g., he, she, they, them, ze) and can be used to refer to someone's gender identity. 

(6) Gender Marker: A letter (M for male, F for female, or X for non-binary) on official documents that reflects a person's legally-recognized sex. It may or may not correspond with a person's gender identity. 

(7) All-Gender Single Occupancy Restroom: A single-stall restroom that is intended for anyone to use, regardless of their gender identity. It offers a private space for people who may not feel comfortable using restrooms designated for a specific gender. Any single occupancy restroom can be used as an all-gender restroom with appropriate signage. 

Failure to meet the terms of this Pledge gives New Bern Pride full rights to rescind your business’s right to display the New Bern Pride Safe Space/Business sticker without refund and remove your business from New Bern Pride’s lists of Allied and Safe Space Pledged businesses.