Effective Date: August 15, 2024

Lighthouse Foundation of Chicagoland is committed to creating and maintaining spaces in which everyone is able to feel welcome, safe, and empowered. This commitment is embodied in our organization's policies and the way we conduct our programs and events. We celebrate diversity, embrace individuality, and foster a sense of community. At Lighthouse Foundation, we believe diverse, inclusive, and equitable spaces are ones where everyone feels respected and valued. We are committed to creating and maintaining spaces where all our staff, vendors, volunteers, and community members feel respected. To achieve this, we require everyone who attends our in-person and online events to respect our policies regarding appropriate behavior. 

If these policies are not followed, individuals may be subject to a ban from current and future Lighthouse Foundation programs and events. Below are the details of our ban policy. 

Ban Policy

The Event Ban policy is a set of guidelines and procedures regarding identifying and handling users who are banned from Lighthouse Foundation (LF) events, in the interest of maintaining the physical and mental well-being of the participants. This policy, and the suggested processes pursuant to this policy, are applicable to in-person and online events, taking place in physical and remote spaces.

Core principles

We are committed to empowering all LF community members, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sex, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, political affiliation, religion, community status, marital status, or pregnancy status to enjoy a positive and constructive experience through attending in-person events. We are dedicated to creating safe physical spaces for event attendees to meet, interact, learn and collaborate in person towards making the sum of all human knowledge accessible for everybody.

Purpose and scope

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that appropriate protocols are in place to help assure the mental and physical safety of event attendees, in the circumstances where a banned user should attempt to attend an LF-sponsored or funded event. Its scope covers from the planning stages through the duration of the event, as well as the immediate post-event period. The processes pursuant to this policy are applicable to situations where a ban restricts the access, attendance, or participation of individuals at offline events sponsored or funded by LF. 

When is a user banned from an event?

All in-person or online event attendees are expected to adhere to applicable rules on public behavior. The vast majority of interactions recorded through LF events are positive. However, exceptional circumstances (such as repeated abuse or behavior that compromises the trust and safety of our community) may result in bans. Those bans may be imposed by LF and may cover a wide array of activities hosted by Lighthouse Foundation. The following behavior may result in a ban (this list is not all-inclusive): 

• Sexual harassment

• Touching someone inappropriately 

• Public indecency

• Violation of LF’s anti-harassment policy

• Racist attire or behavior

• Threats

• Harassment via phone, online, or in-person

• Intentionally misgendering someone

• Violence

• Threats of violence

• Comments or jokes about sex or private body parts

• Use of sex or gender-related name-calling

• Intentionally exposing private body parts

• Blocking someone’s path so they can't get away from the sexual harassment

• Hostility towards staff

Banned users

Contributors subject to a ban, imposed by LF in line with the LF Ban Policy, are, by default, not allowed access to in-person or remote/online events funded or sponsored by LF. Details of individuals explicitly or implicitly banned from attending events may be made available to designated teams or individuals within the event organization team/safe space committee, pursuant to this policy.

Roles and responsibilities

The Executive Team will act as a communication conduit and primary decision-maker between LF and the individuals subject to a ban, pursuant to this policy. Responsibilities include investigation upon receipt of concerns about a specific user, placing an event ban, communicating with all parties affected, and enforcing this policy.

Notice of event bans

Individuals banned from attending events pursuant to this policy should be notified in writing. Notices of event bans will be issued by the Executive Team, through electronic communication wherever possible. If they are banned on-site, LF will contact the individual via email with a notice and details of the ban. Notice of an event ban will occur once and will be automatically applicable to any future events. The first email to the individual will include an overview of the actions and a ban from current and upcoming events. A second email will be sent shortly after a review with the final decision. Attendance at events or meetings is not allowed until a decision has been made.

Depending on the severity and nature of the inappropriate behavior, LF may be required to take further action beyond the ban. 

Identifying an event-banned user

The fact that a user has been banned from attending an event may not deter or prevent them from physically joining, or attempting to join. Such attempts may be identified in advance or during the event. Attending an event from which one is banned is a form of harassment. Such actions may result in immediate expulsion from the event and may incur further sanctions. As such, the LF reserves the right to refuse entry or revoke one’s previously granted right to entry, without refund, for any attendee in breach of this or other policy.