Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy

Background

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are at the core of Club Sexu’s mission. Our goal is to represent a wide diversity of lived realities and experiences in matters of gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual practices, and relationship configurations.

Our intersectional feminist approach considers historical, social, and political contexts and recognizes the uniqueness of lived experiences as a result of the intersection of systems of oppression such as cissexism, heterosexism, racism, ableism, and classism. The Club also adheres to the concept of sexual fluidity, which refers to the fact that a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, and sexual practices and desires can fluctuate over time.

It therefore goes without saying that our mission permeates our organizational practices in terms of meeting our specific objectives of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Definitions

Equity

At Club Sexu, equity translates into treating each group and individual fairly in order to have their equality reflected in the way we interact and communicate with them, both as employers and as a social economy organization. Equity, as defined by Club Sexu, therefore implies that groups and individuals will be treated in a way that acknowledges and respects their respective differences, thus ensuring that a particular group or individual is not disadvantaged or does not feel wronged in its relationship with Club Sexu. The equity promoted in our organization allows everyone to be entitled to the same benefits, taking into account the specificities of their respective situation.

Diversity

At Club Sexu, diversity is defined as anything that differs from the majority or socially privileged groups, and as anything that pertains to the differences and similarities between individuals in a given group or organization. Concretely, for Club Sexu, diversity translates into differences in gender, sex, ethnicity, physical attributes, and sexual orientation, to name just a few. We highly value these differences, since they enable the injection of a wide range of standpoints into the Club’s collective opinions, skills, knowledge, ways of doing and being, and ways of approaching reality and diverse experiences, all of which strengthens our mission.

Inclusion

For Club Sexu, inclusion is essential to making the organization a space that welcomes, values, and respects diversity as defined herein. Inclusion allows all our collaborators the freedom to be themselves and to find their place within the organization in addition to being able to contribute to our mission. Inclusion also ensures that everyone’s contributions are recognized. If necessary, Club Sexu is committed to instate the necessary measures to ensure that each employee feels fulfilled and supported within the organization.

Application

This policy applies to all of the following locations:

• Physical and virtual workplaces
• Spaces where Club Sexu holds activities related to its mission and projects
• Any other place where employees and collaborators need to perform their duties

This policy covers all of the following aspects:

• Internal communications
• External communications
• Relations between collaborators
• Human resource management
• Governance, including but not limited to upper management and board decisions

The persons and entities to whom this policy applies are:

• Club Sexu as a community organization
• Club Sexu’s upper management representatives
• Board members
• Members of any of Club Sexu’s committees
• Anyone paid by Club Sexu, whether permanent employees or freelancers

Objectives

As an employer and non-profit organization, Club Sexu wishes to position itself as an EDI leader in order to attract collaborators, mark its place as a promoter of equity, diversity, and inclusion, and to be an ally for both its public and the various organizations it supports.

We therefore aim to:

• Create an equitable work environment, both in terms of compensation and in terms of opportunities for development and advancement within the organization
• Establish an environment that ensures the dignity and autonomy of each employee and freelancer who collaborates with the Club
• Promote the flourishing of each employee in a safe, inclusive environment free from harassment and discrimination
• Enable each employee to develop their full potential and professional ambitions
• Publicly communicate our values and our EDI objectives so that they are consciously endorsed by each employee and mindfully integrated into their everyday work

Policy statement and disciplinary measures

Club Sexu does not tolerate any form of discrimination within its organization.

Club Sexu has instated inclusive practices to ensure that every employee can flourish with respect, dignity, and recognition of human rights and freedoms, without distinction, exclusion, or preference on the basis of ethnicity, skin colour, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, religious affiliation, political beliefs, language, social condition, physical attributes, or disability.

Club Sexu also has the mission of creating a diverse and inclusive workplace in which the differences and contributions of each collaborator (employees and freelancers) are recognized and valued.

Any discrimination or non-compliance with one or more elements of this policy may lead to disciplinary measures which may go as far as termination in the case of employees, the end of collaborations in the case of freelancers, or dismissal in the case of administrators and managers.

The measures to which Club Sexu is committed under this policy are as follows:

• Ensure that its Governance and Human Resources Committee enforce this policy
• Put into practice inclusive writing and communications based on the inclusive writing guide Apprendre à nous écrire, which was developed and written collaboratively with the organization Les 3 sex*
• Offer all its collaborators equal pay, whether they are permanent employees or freelancers, regardless of seniority and the nature of the task carried out for Club Sexu (an exception is made for positions involving greater responsibilities and mental load, which benefit from a bonus)
• Provide employees, administrators, managers, and collaborators with equal and inclusive treatment
• Create a work environment in which all collaborators’ individual differences and contributions are recognized and valued
• Integrate this policy into each employment, freelance, administration, and management contract
• Provide a safe and inclusive work environment for all of its employees to enable everyone to work and participate to their full potential
• To the extent possible, hold its activities, including studio contracts (e.g., photo shoots), in spaces—whether or not they are leased—that are accessible to people with reduced mobility
• To the extent possible, maximize universal accessibility on its current premises and future location
• Raise awareness among employees and target audiences regarding issues that relate to equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as unconscious biases and prejudices, whether through media or training
• In its annual report, include EDI’s main objectives and accomplishments made throughout the year
• Ensure that all activities organized by the Club or in which the Club participates are as representative as possible of its commitment to diversity and levels of inclusiveness
• Ensure that all training opportunities and events organized by the Club for which there is a charge are by default financially accessible to our clients and audiences, and offer reduced pricing in select cases (e.g., for NPOs)
• Inform all employees, administrators, and managers of the existence and application of this policy and the obligation to comply with it in all of Club Sexu’s activities
• Encourage anyone who believes they have been subjected to one form of discrimination or another in a context covered by the application of this policy to come forward so that Club Sexu can rectify the situation

Complaint procedure

To submit any complaint, please contact either the Governance and Human Resource Committee or the President of the Board of Directors.

In the event of a formal complaint or a report of non-compliance with the EDI policy, Club Sexu is committed to:

• Taking charge of the complaint as soon as possible
• Ensuring the dignity, safety, and privacy of the parties concerned (the party having filed the complaint, the party who is the subject of the complaint, and any witnesses)
• Ensuring that all parties involved are treated with respect, dignity, fairness, and impartiality and that adequate support is provided to them
• With the consent of the concerned parties, holding a meeting with them in order to resolve the situation
• If necessary and within a reasonable period of time, conducting an objective investigation or entrusting this responsibility to an external party. The parties concerned will be informed of the conclusions of this process. If the investigation does not conclude that unacceptable behaviour has taken place, all material evidence will nonetheless be kept for two years, after which it will be destroyed.
• Suspending the alleged offender pending the conclusion of the investigation. This suspension will be without pay if the party is found to be at fault. In the event that the party is found at fault, their suspension will be with pay.
• During the treatment and resolution of a situation relating to this policy, ensuring that no one experiences prejudice or reprisals on the part of Club Sexu.

Lastly, Club Sexu is committed to verifying that the policy remains consistent and, if necessary, to updating it at least once a year during the annual general meeting (AGM).