LBTG Polcies and Ethical Standards

 Nondiscriminatory Policy

LBTG will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

Sexual Harassment Policy

Harassment based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, creed, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, or any characteristic protected by law is a violation of LBTG policy. LBTG recognizes that harassment undermines morale and interferes with productivity and will not be tolerated. See full Sexual Harassment  Policy below.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY

Long Beach Theatre Guild (LBTG) values our volunteers, patrons, artists, and staff. We are committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all. If you have a concern relating to sexual harassment, please email our HR Representative at LBTheatreGuild.org, call 516-432-2600 or complete the form below.

Harassment

Harassment based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, creed, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, or any characteristic protected by law is a violation of LBTG  policy. LBTG recognizes that harassment undermines morale and interferes with productivity and will not be tolerated.

This policy applies to and prohibits harassment by everyone at LBTG. Violation of LBTG’s discrimination and harassment policy by any contractor, volunteer or cast member will result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the production and subject to forfeiture of LBTG membership. No one will be subject to any retaliation for filing a complaint or participating in the investigation of such complaint.

The sexual harassment policy aims to protect men, women, transgender, and non-binary individuals from unwanted sexual advances and give them guidelines to report incidents. 

.Policy Elements

What is sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment has many forms of variable seriousness. A person sexually harasses someone when they:

• Insinuate, propose or demand      sexual favors of any kind.
• Invade another person’s personal      space (e.g. inappropriate touching.)
• Stalk, intimidate, coerce or      threaten another person to get them to engage in sexual acts.
• Send or display sexually explicit      objects or messages.
• Comment on someone’s looks,      dress, sexuality or gender in a derogatory or objectifying manner or a      manner that makes them uncomfortable.
• Make obscene comments, jokes or      gestures that humiliate or offend someone.
• Pursue or flirt with another      person persistently without the other person’s willing participation. The      most extreme form of sexual harassment is sexual assault. This is a      serious crime and LBTG will support anyone who wants to press charges      against offenders. 
• Requests or demands for sexual favors, especially those that      include, or imply, promises of rewards for complying (e.g., role/better      role in production) and/or threats of punishment for refusal (e.g., denial      of role or opportunities) outside the boundaries of consent related to      production content;

Sexual Harassment as it Pertains to a Theatrical Production or Environment

The Goal

We seek to understand sexual harassment as it pertains to the theatre, provide procedures to prevent it, and outline recourse when it occurs. We recognize the potential for harassment in rehearsal, during performance, and outside the theatre among participants, contractors, board, and audience members. We acknowledge theatre environments can court confusion about the difference between chemistry, artistic freedom, and harassment; we believe participants can be bold and live "in the moment" of theatrical material while maintaining choreography, fellow participants' safety, and agreed-upon boundaries.

The Standard

Clear boundaries should be established and agreed upon among all participants involved, both in rehearsals and performance, particularly in scenes depicting violence, sex, intimate contact, abuse, or gestures of intimacy.

For reference, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), sexual harassment is described as follows:

• It is unlawful to harass a person (an applicant or employee) because      of that person's sex. Harassment can include "sexual harassment"      or unwelcome sexual advances, request s for sexual favors, and other      verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.
• Harassment does not have to be of a sexual nature, however, and can      include offensive remarks about a person's sex. For example, it is illegal      to harass a woman by making offensive comments about women in general.
• Both victim and the harasser can be either a woman or a man, and the      victim and harasser can be the same sex. We extend this statement from      EEOC to say the victim and harasser can have different sexual/gender      identities or the same.
• Although the law doesn't prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments,      or isolated incidents that are not very serious, harassment is illegal      when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive      work environment or when it results in an adverse employment decision      (such as the victim being fired or demoted).
• The EEOC covers "employees" only, not contractors and      volunteers. For that reason, this standard seeks to provide a definition      for sexual harassment in the theatrical workplace for participants not      covered by EEOC laws and other regulations, and to provide an      understanding of and sensitivity to the nuances of a theatrical workplace.
• Requests or demands for sexual favors, especially those that      include, or imply, promises of rewards for complying (e.g., role/better      role in production) and/or threats of punishment for refusal (e.g., denial      of role or opportunities) outside the boundaries of consent related to      production content;
• Intentional failure to observe the dressing room standards laid out      in this document;

Participants Have the Right to be Free From:

• Sexual solicitation or advances made by a person in a position to      confer, grant, or deny a benefit or advancement outside production      content;
• Reprisal or threat of reprisal for the rejection of a sexual      solicitation or advance where the reprisal is made by a person in a      position to grant, confer, or deny a benefit or advancement outside      production content.
• Any of the behaviors outlined here have the potential to create a      negative environment for individuals or groups. It should be noted that a      person does not have to be a direct target to be adversely affected by a      negative environment. It is understood that creative atmospheres are not      always "emotionally sanitary" - they can safely be bawdy,      profane, vulgar, and challenging. We assert that having (a) a practice of      building consent and (b) an environment that allows for response to clear      boundary violations can broaden our opportunity to be challenging and      fearless in our work.
• Concerns about harassment, safety, or a negative environment should      be reported using the “harassment complaint procedure (starting with the      “informal resolution” wherever possible), and all concerns should be      treated with the utmost respect for the safety and wellbeing of all      participants.

Harassment Complaint Procedure

We highly encourage all members of LBTG to report any lack of mutual respect or harassment immediately to the LBTG’s HR Representatives. All allegations of harassment will be promptly and thoroughly investigated, treated in a confidential manner, and information pertaining to the investigation will be shared only with appropriate individuals on a need to know basis. Board members will be notified any time there is an investigation taking place by an outside law firm, but will not receive any details about what the allegations entail, unless deemed necessary to the investigation.       

Reporting Procedure

Anyone who believes they have been discriminated against or sexually harassed should report the alleged act immediately. LBTG has 3 HR Representatives. The current representatives are Nancy Gallinaro, Lisa Simon-Weitz, and Barbara Weiss. Anyone wishing to file a formal complaint may contact the HR Representatives at LBTheatreGuild.org or call 516-432-2600.

After reviewing the complaint, the HR Representative will determine the appropriate level of corrective response and partner only with those who have a legitimate business need to know. The HR Representative will determine the appropriate level of corrective response, which may include, but is not limited to education, an apology, documentation of formal or informal coaching, removal of the alleged perpetrator from involvement at LBTG, referral to local authorities, or other corrective action. The complainant and the subject of the investigation will be informed, where appropriate, of the findings of the investigation.

Long Beach Theatre Guild

Sexual Harassment Complaint Form

Form can be emailed to "Contact us" or

LBTheatreGuild@optonline.net

Today’s Date * ________________

Employee / Complainant Name

You may choose to remain anonymous and omit this portion of the reporting form.

______________________________________

Employee / Complainant Phone

You may choose to remain anonymous and omit this portion of the reporting form.

_______________________________________

Employee / Complainant Email

You may choose to remain anonymous and omit this portion of the reporting form.

________________________________________

Details *

Name(s) of Alleged Harasser(s)

__________________________________________________________

Name(s) of the Alleged Victim(s) If different from the Complainant

__________________________________________________________

Contact information of Alleged Harasser(s) - Where Available

___________________________________________________________

Please provide specific details of the alleged incident(s). The more information and details you are able to provide, the more helpful it will be in our ability to follow-up. The type of information that is helpful includes: dates, times, locations, witnesses, and any details you are able to provide about the event(s), incident(s), and/or behavior(s). If you have included your name, the HR Representatives may follow up with you for more information.

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Did anyone witness the event? *

Yes ___

No ____

Maybe ____

If "YES" Please provide name(s) and contact information, if known, of any witnesses

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Have you reported this same individual previously for harassment? *

Yes ___

No ___

If "YES" please provide as much information as possible about the prior report, including the date.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Additional Comments

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

I hereby certify to the best of my knowledge that all the above-mentioned information is true, accurate, and complete. I understand that making false or frivolous allegations will result in discipline, up to and including removal from production and other possible consequences. *

Yes ____

No ____

*Indicated required question