Gender and Sexuality

What is brave, safe, and educated?

We designed this criteria by compiling a diverse set of peer-reviewed articles from reputable sources and fashioning their suggestions to fit the capabilities of organizations in the Memphis community. In addition, we collected surveys from people all around Memphis, asking what they felt would make spaces Brave, Safe, and Educated.

While research is essential, the personal experiences and needs of local LGBTQ+ people are just as necessary to our mission of making Memphis safer.

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The criteria:

For businesses

Proudly and visibly identify as a safe space
Include pronouns in name tags, email signatures, and business cards, as well as in all introductions
Make gender neutral bathrooms available
Dress codes should be gender neutral, with all people adhering to the same rules
Have staff trained in LGBTQ+ sensitivity
Ensure anti-harassment policies explicitly protect LGBTQ+ staff and customers
Staff trained in the “implicit bias”
No working groups may be assigned based on gender
Any spousal and domestic relation benefits for staff must explicitly include same-sex couples
Have literature or a point-person concerning the mediation of gender or sexuality discrimination
Have policies that ensure claims of gender or sexuality discrimination or violence are properly investigated and taken seriously
Normalize using they-them pronouns before you know someone's pronouns

For healthcare facilities

Proudly and visibly identify as a safe space
Staff should be trained in a “LGBTQ+ 101 for Providers” program and/or a “Transgender 101 for Providers” program
Ask patients for preferred pronouns and use them
Include pronouns on staff name tags and with patients' names
Make gender neutral restrooms available for patients and staff
Ensure any anti-discrimination and harassment policies directly protect LGBTQ+ staff and patients
Dress codes should be gender neutral, with all people adhering to the same rules
Doctors should provide a survey with more sensitive conversation topics
Provide information on how to advocate for yourself if you have been discriminated against
Don’t use words that harm the LGBT community
Ensure that all have the same access as straight partners