A nightclub has introduced a strict new policy that could see people staring at fellow revellers kicked out and the police called. Club 77 in Sydney, Australia, said it wanted to create a safe space and has publicised a list of new guidance.
And the policy all comes down to 'verbal consent' when it comes to what is acceptable and unacceptable at the venue. And it comes after a rise in the number of customers after lockdown resulted in more cases of harrasment, the Mirror reports.
Posting its new rules on Instagram, Club 77 said: "Creating a safe space goes beyond implementing practices to deal with incidents after they have happened. 'Verbal consent' must now be sought before interacting with strangers in the club
"We also have an obligation to educate new club-goers and help them understand what is considered unacceptable behaviour inside the venue and on the dance floor."
"As a nightclub, we encourage you to interact with strangers, however any engagement MUST begin with verbal consent. This also applies if you are, for example, staring at someone from afar. If the attention you are giving someone is unwanted, that is considered harassment."
And it added: "If we receive reports of any behaviour that has made someone feel uncomfortable, the reported individual will be removed from the venue and the police will be called. We do this to make everyone feel safe and to ensure our patrons are comfortable approaching staff if anything has made them uncomfortable or feel unsafe."
Club 77 in the central Darlinghurst district of Sydney opens seven days a week until 4am, and hosts regular performances from touring DJs.
Introducing the rules, the club said on Instagram: Thanks to the support of our community and amazing patrons, Club 77 has been busier than ever. Unfortunately, this has also attracted some people who do not share our values and ethics when it comes to club culture, consent and harassment. In response to this we've updated our safety and harassment policy... and introduced new measures to make sure this venue continues to remain a SAFE SPACE."
The post received a lot of positive feedback, including from Instagram user omgdazza who wrote: "back this so much! thank u for keeping safety of patron a priority." Lazaarus wrote: "Amazing!!! Positive party culture all the way!"
However, there was some criticism as well. Obrientom wrote: "You're going to call the cops on someone for staring at someone else in your club? what will the cops do?.
George Salloum wrote: "Sometimes people make me feel uncomfortable with what they are wearing. Does that mean I can get them kicked out of the club? The stupidity of these rules will guarantee that the only patrons to attend this club will be the snowflake generation. Good luck with that."
