Adventure With Vikings!

BY PARCIPATING IN OUR EVENTS, YOU ARE AGREEING TO THIS POLICY.

NO REFUND WILL BE ISSUED IF YOU ARE REMOVED FOR A VIOLATION OF THIS POLICY.

Introduction

To our ambassadors and guests,

At Outland Gate Adventures, our mission is to educate and entertain the public through performance, food, and demonstrations of various time periods. Our events fuel the imaginations of people of all ages, and sometimes teaches and connects people to our global history.

All members of our team are here because we are committed to this mission, to creating something we can be proud of, to sharing our creativity, and hopefully inspiring others. Our goal is to foster safe, welcoming, fun, and awe inspiring events, and to bring people together to celebrate and connect.

We know that for many members of our community, the events we aim to create are a place where they can be their authentic selves, and experience a sense of belonging, and we want all to be able to share in this magic. We want this to happen in an environment where all feel safe and welcome, and leave with wonderful life-long memories. This drive underscores the importance of creating a space that matches those values.

We have created this anti-harassment policy because we care about our community. It takes all of you to help make the magic of our events work, and we want to honor that spirit. Thank you to all who join us, for helping us grow together, and ensure that our events are the most inclusive, fun, and wonderful they can be!

Sincerely,
Ben Dauphinee
President, Outland Gate Adventures

Policy

Harassment of any kind is not tolerated at Outland Gate Adventures (OGA) events. This policy applies to all who participate in our event, regardless of their role.

Harassment includes verbal, physical, sexual, and psychological harassment, or any discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, nationality, culture, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religious/non-religious beliefs, disability, immigration status, or socio-economic status.

Everyone should be able to have a fun time with us here at OGA – but not at the expense of others. It is in this spirit that, at these events, everyone present is an active participant in upholding this community standard. As a participant, you accept the responsibility to respect others and help maintain safety.

This policy applies to all OGA events and spaces, including our social media pages, as well as any other spaces that OGA hosts, both online and offline. Anyone who violates this policy may be sanctioned or expelled from these spaces at the discretion of the OGA team.

What is Harassment?

Harassment is unwanted attention or behavior that creates an intimidating, offensive, and/or hostile space for the person or group being targeted. This can be verbal, physical, sexual, and/or psychological. If someone tells you that your comments or behavior are not wanted, you must stop, even if you do not think your behavior was harassing. Harassment is defined by the targeted individual/group. Participation in 19+ spaces, when they are available, is not an excuse for harassment or inappropriate behavior.

Examples of harassment include, but are not limited to:

• Touching someone without their permission.
• Rude / inappropriate comments about a person’s appearance.
• Sexual and/or vulgar statements.
• Offensive jokes.
• Disparaging remarks about a person’s gender, race, religion, sexuality, identity, et cetera.
• Threats of violence or deliberate intimidation.
• Repeated texting, phone calls, or emails, after being told to stop.
• Deliberate misgendering or use of ‘dead’ or rejected names.
• Bullying and discrimination.
• Whistling, catcalling, and any kind of non-consensual flirting or sexual advances.
• Following someone or otherwise interfering with their freedom of movement.
• Attending a person’s performance, or visiting them wherever they are solely to heckle / harass them.
• Photographing or recording someone if they have asked you to stop.
• Exposing oneself or miming sexual acts.
• Any persistent action that creates a hostile environment for the person or persons being targeted.
• Displaying / wearing hate symbols
  Hate symbols are not permitted at OGA events, including as part of costume / cosplay / clothing, displayed in any way, or sold in a vendor booth. (For example, symbols referencing Nazi / white supremacy groups.) This policy applies to Guests, Ambassadors, Staff, Volunteers, Security, and Contracted Vendors at OGA events. Whether a behavior, costume / cosplay / clothing violates this policy shall be determined by OGA at its sole discretion.

Violations may result in you being warned, kicked out of the event with no refund, or even banned from future events.

Costume / Cosplay is Not Consent

If a person is in costume or cosplay, that does not give you consent to photograph or touch them without their permission.

The only exception to this is our characters and performers, whom you may photograph, as they have specific provisions in their contracts that provide blanket consent for photography (though it’s still polite to ask, as you’ll likely get a better photograph if they’re expecting it). If you are abusing this privilege, you may be asked to stop, potentially removed from the event, or even banned from future events.

If you like someone’s outfit, let them know! They probably worked very hard on it, and hearing compliments about their work might just make their day. However, how a person is dressed is not a valid reason to treat them with disrespect, make sexualized remarks or flirtatious / sexual advances, touch them, or otherwise harass them. This behavior will not be tolerated and may result in you being removed from the event, or even banned from future events.

A Note About Photography / Press Badges

OGA issues Press badges for the purpose of photographing and/or recording our events for press, social media, and marketing purposes. All contracts and waivers, and entry to the events include explicit consent in regards to being photographed and / or recorded. However, a Press badge does not grant anyone the right to bother, harass, or otherwise act inappropriately with any participant in our events. Anyone holding a Press badge is expected to uphold our community standards, and is subject to the same consequences in the event of anti-harassment policy violations.

Why Have A Policy?

With this policy, our goal is to be as upfront and clear as possible with this complex issue. Outland Gate Adventures takes a firm stance on harassment, in alignment with our values and culture.

It is important to us at OGA that everyone can feel safe and welcome at our events, and to help this, we are setting the expectations for all our participants in a clear and direct way. We are not here to take the fun out of events, make people question every action they take, or set harsh rules. Instead, this policy and its expectations are intended to help everyone have a good time by fostering an environment of acceptance, accountability, and respect.

Reporting

OGA acknowledges that calling out inappropriate behavior is not easy, and often feels unsafe, especially for members of marginalized communities. If you witness harassment and feel safe and comfortable doing so, please call out inappropriate behavior and remind others of our expectation of respectful behavior.

Please report any incidents of harassment as soon as possible. We take all reports very seriously, regardless of who is involved. You can report harassment even if you are not directly involved. Any form of retaliation against someone filing a report will not be tolerated.

For Ambassadors and Guests

Harassment by any individual should be reported to Security*. If you are not comfortable reporting to Security, you can report directly to our President, Ben Dauphinee ( ben@outlandgateadventures.ca ). If you have any questions, please visit the Information Booth.

If you would prefer to make an online report, you may do so at any time through the Contact Form on our website. Please fill out the form with as much detail as possible so we can address the situation immediately and thoroughly. If you would prefer to remain anonymous, providing your real name is entirely optional.

Locating Security

If you cannot find Security, you can find someone with a radio and they can alert Security for you. There are staff with radios at the Vendor Booth, First Aid, and Entrance Gate. As well, many of our roaming staff members (look for the STAFF shirt) carry radios or another means of contacting Security.

For Performers, Staff, Volunteers and Contracted Vendors

Harassment by any individual should be reported to your team leader. If you are not comfortable reporting to your team leader, you can report directly to our President, Ben Dauphinee ( ben@outlandgateadventures.ca ).

Policy Violation Consequences

Any violations of the OGA harassment policy will result in immediate penalties depending on the severity of the action. These may include:

• Verbal warnings. (You will only be warned once.)
• Confiscation of your wristband / badge and immediate removal from the event.
  No refunds will be issued.
• Banning from any and all future OGA events.
• Contacting law enforcement when appropriate.

As explained above, harassment is defined by the person being targeted. However, there are certain instances where a person may feel uncomfortable, but the nature of the complaint is not in alignment with the OGA values of diversity and inclusion.

If you file a harassment complaint, a member of the OGA team will let you know that your complaint was received and that appropriate action was taken. Details regarding disciplinary actions will not be shared.

If you have questions, comments or concerns, please reach out to the OGA team through our contact form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this policy mean I can’t touch or hug anyone?

Of course not! An important part of social connection is physical contact, and this policy isn’t intended to prevent that. We are only asking you to be mindful of differences in boundaries and comfort levels. If you know your friends are comfortable with a hug, excellent! If you are unsure, ask them, and if someone says no, absolutely respect their boundaries.

Are compliments considered harassment?

This depends on the content and context of the compliment. Compliments are a great way to show appreciation and admiration for others, however unwelcome comments can make some feel uncomfortable. Making inappropriate advances, or unwelcome comments about someone’s appearance are not considered compliments. Remember to keep things respectful and uplifting!