Privacy Policy
Effective Date: March 19, 2021
Here at SOS Pride Society, we are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. If you have any questions or concerns about our policy or our practices with regards to your personal information, please contact us here.
When you visit our website and use our services, you trust us with your personal information. We take your privacy very seriously. In this privacy notice, we describe our privacy policy. We seek to explain to you in the clearest way possible what information we collect, how we use it and what rights you have in relation to it. We hope you take some time to read through it carefully, as it is important. If there are any terms in this privacy policy that you do not agree with, please discontinue use of our website.
This privacy policy applies to all information collected through our and/or any related services, sales, marketing or events (we refer to them collectively in this privacy policy as the “Site”). Please read this privacy policy carefully as it will help you make informed decisions about sharing your personal information with us.
1. DEVICE INFORMATION WE COLLECT
When you visit the Site, we automatically collect certain information about your device, including information about your web browser, IP address, time zone, and some of the cookies that are installed on your device. Additionally, as you browse the Site, we collect information about the individual web pages or products that you view, what websites or search terms referred you to the Site, and information about how you interact with the Site. We refer to this automatically-collected information as “Device Information.”
We collect Device Information using the following technologies:
“Log files” track actions occurring on the Site, and collect data including your IP address, browser type, Internet service provider, referring/exit pages, and date/time stamps.
“Web beacons,” “tags,” and “pixels” are electronic files used to record information about how you browse the Site.
We may use cookies and similar tracking technologies (like web beacons and pixels) to access or store information. Specific information about how we use such technologies and how you can refuse certain cookies is set out in our Cookie Policy
2. ORDER INFORMATION WE COLLECT
Additionally, when you make a purchase or attempt to make a purchase through the Site, we collect certain information from you, including your name, billing address, shipping address, email address, and phone number. We refer to this information as “Order Information.” We do not collect or store ANY credit card information.
3. PERSONAL INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?
We collect personal information that you provide to us such as name, address & contact information.
We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when registering at expressing an interest in obtaining information about us or our products and services when participating in activities on the (such as for contests or giveaways) or otherwise contact us here.
4. HOW DO WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
We use the Order Information and Personal Information that we collect generally to fulfill any orders placed through the Site (including processing your payment information, arranging for shipping, and providing you with invoices and/or order confirmations). Additionally, we use this information to:
Communicate with you; and
Screen our orders for potential risk or fraud;
We use the Device Information that we collect to help us screen for potential risk and fraud (in particular, your IP address), and more generally to improve and optimize our Site (for example, by generating analytics about how our customers browse and interact with the Site, and to assess the success of our marketing and advertising campaigns).
4. SHARING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
We share your Personal Information with third parties to help us use your Personal Information, as described above. For example, we use WordPress to power our online store. The platform, under our understanding, does not collect personal data. We also use Google Analytics to help us understand how our customers use the Site — you can read more about how Google uses your Personal Information here. You can also opt-out of Google Analytics here by adding a browser add-on here. Don't have Google Chrome browser? Search how to "Opt-out of Google Analytics" in your browser search of choice for the browser you are using.
Finally, we may also share your Personal Information to comply with applicable laws and regulations, to respond to a subpoena, search warrant or other lawful requests for information we receive, or to otherwise protect our rights.
5. HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION?
We will only keep your personal information for as long as it is necessary for the purposes set out in this privacy policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law (such as tax, accounting or other legal requirements).
When we have no ongoing legitimate business need to process your personal information, we will either delete or anonymize it, or, if this is not possible (for example, because your personal information has been stored in backup archives), then we will securely store your personal information and isolate it from any further processing until deletion is possible.
6. HOW DO WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION SAFE?
We have implemented appropriate technical and organizational security measures designed to protect the security of any personal information we process. However, please also remember that we cannot guarantee that the internet itself is 100% secure. Although we will do our best to protect your personal information, the transmission of personal information to and from the Site is at your own risk. You should only access the services within a secure environment.
7. DO WE COLLECT INFORMATION FROM MINORS?
We do not knowingly solicit data from or market to children under 18 years of age. By using the Site, you represent that you are at least 18 or that you are the parent or guardian of such a minor and consent to such minor dependent’s use of the Site. If we learn that personal information from users less than 18 years of age has been collected, we will take reasonable measures to promptly delete such data from our records. If you become aware of any data we have collected from children under age 18, please contact us here.
8. DO WE MAKE UPDATES TO THIS POLICY?
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The updated version will be indicated by an updated “Revised” date and the updated version will be effective as soon as it is accessible. If we make material changes to this privacy policy, we may notify you either by prominently posting a notice of such changes or by directly sending you a notification. We encourage you to review this privacy policy frequently to be informed of how we are protecting your information.
9. HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS POLICY?
If you have questions or comments about this policy, you may contact us here.
10. ONLINE PRIVACY POLICY ONLY
This Privacy Policy applies only to our online activities and is valid for visitors to our website with regards to the information that they shared and/or collect in SOS Pride Society. This policy is not applicable to any information collected offline or via channels other than this Site.
11. CONSENT
By using our website, you hereby consent to our Privacy Policy and agree to its Terms and Conditions.
We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make changes, we’ll update the “Effective Date” at the top of this Privacy Policy page and post it on our sites. We encourage you to check back periodically to review our Privacy Policy for any changes since your last visit.
Cookie policy
Effective Date: March 19, 2021
This Cookie Policy describes how SOS Pride Society uses cookies and similar technologies to provide, customize, evaluate, improve, promote and protect our Services. Note that any capitalized terms not defined in this Cookie Policy have the meanings set forth in our Terms of Service. If you have any comments or questions about this Cookie Policy, feel free to contact us here.
1. COOKIES
Cookies are small pieces of text sent to your browser when you visit a site. They serve a variety of functions, like enabling us to remember certain information you provide to us as you navigate between pages on the Services. We use cookies on www.sospride.ca and our eCommerce website web and mobile applications for the following purposes:
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Authentication, Customization, Security and Other Functional Cookies. Cookies help us verify your Account and device and determine when you’re logged in, so we can make it easier for you to access the Services and provide the appropriate experiences and features. We also use cookies to help prevent fraudulent use of login credentials and to remember choices you’ve made on the Services, such as your language preference.
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Performance And Analytics. Cookies help us analyze how the Services are being accessed and used, and enable us to track the performance of the Services. For example, we use cookies to determine if you viewed a page or opened an email. This helps us provide you with the information that you find interesting.
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Third Parties. Third-Party Services may use cookies to help you sign into their services from our Services. Any such third party cookie usage is governed by the policy of the third party placing the cookie.
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Opting Out. You can set your browser to not accept cookies, but this may limit your ability to use the Services. We currently don’t respond to DNT:1 signals from browsers visiting our Services. You can also opt-out of receiving interest-based ads from certain ad networks here
2. THIRD PARTY TAGS
We use and manage third party tags on the website and associated domains of www.sospride.ca web and mobile applications. Third-party tags may take the form of pixels or tracking snippets. We use pixels to learn how you interact with our site pages and emails, and this information helps us provide you with a more tailored experience. We use tracking snippets to capture data from your browser, make requests to a third-party partner or set cookies on your device to store data. We use Google Tag Manager to manage our third party tag usage. This may cause other tags to be activated which may, for their part, collect data and set cookies under certain circumstances. Google Tag Manager does not store this data. We also use Google Analytics to track visitors to our site
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time. When we make changes, we’ll update the “Effective Date” at the top of the Cookie Policy and post it on our sites. We encourage you to check back periodically to review this Cookie Policy for any changes since your last visit.
Terms & Conditions
Effective Date: March 19, 2021
This website is operated by SOS Pride Society. Throughout the site, the terms “we”, “us” and “our” refer to SOS Pride Society. SOS Pride Society offers this website, including all information, tools and services available from this site to you, the user, conditioned upon your acceptance of all terms, conditions, policies and notices stated here.
By visiting our site and/ or purchasing something from us, you engage in our “Service” and agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions (“Terms of Service”, “Terms”), including those additional terms and conditions and policies referenced herein and/or available by hyperlink. These Terms of Service apply to all users of the site, including without limitation users who are browsers, vendors, customers, merchants, and/ or contributors of content.
Please read these Terms of Service carefully before accessing or using our website. By accessing or using any part of the site, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to all the terms and conditions of this agreement, then you may not access the website or use any services. If these Terms of Service are considered an offer, acceptance is expressly limited to these Terms of Service.
Any new features or tools which are added to the current store shall also be subject to the Terms of Service. You can review the most current version of the Terms of Service at any time on this page. We reserve the right to update, change or replace any part of these Terms of Service by posting updates and/or changes to our website. It is your responsibility to check this page periodically for changes. Your continued use of or access to the website following the posting of any changes constitutes acceptance of those changes.
Our store is hosted on Bluehost using a maintained WordPress Divi theme with a secure SSL certificate.
SECTION 1 – ONLINE STORE TERMS
By agreeing to these Terms of Service, you represent that you are at least the age of majority in your state or province of residence, or that you are the age of majority in your state or province of residence and you have given us your consent to allow any of your minor dependents to use this site. You may not use our products for any illegal or unauthorized purpose nor may you, in the use of the Service, violate any laws in your jurisdiction (including but not limited to copyright laws).
SECTION 2 – GENERAL CONDITIONS
We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason at any time. You understand that your content (not including credit card information), may be transferred unencrypted and involve (a) transmissions over various networks; and (b) changes to conform and adapt to the technical requirements of connecting networks or devices. Credit card information is always encrypted during transfer over networks. You agree not to reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit any portion of the Service, use of the Service, or access to the Service or any contact on the website through which the service is provided, without express written permission by us. The headings used in this agreement are included for convenience only and will not limit or otherwise affect these Terms.
SECTION 3 – ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS AND TIMELINESS OF INFORMATION
We are not responsible if information made available on this site is not accurate, complete or current. The material on this site is provided for general information only and should not be relied upon or used as the sole basis for making decisions without consulting primary, more accurate, more complete or more timely sources of information. Any reliance on the material on this site is at your own risk. This site may contain certain historical information. Historical information, necessarily, is not current and is provided for your reference only. We reserve the right to modify the contents of this site at any time, but we have no obligation to update any information on our site. You agree that it is your responsibility to monitor changes to our site.
SECTION 4 – MODIFICATIONS TO THE SERVICE AND PRICES
Prices for our products are subject to change without notice. We reserve the right at any time to modify or discontinue the Service (or any part or content thereof) without notice at any time. We shall not be liable to you or to any third-party for any modification, price change, suspension or discontinuance of the Service.
SECTION 5 – PRODUCTS OR SERVICES
Certain products or services may be available exclusively online through the website. These products or services may have limited quantities and are subject to return or exchange only according to our Returns Policy.
We reserve the right, but are not obligated, to limit the sales of our products or Services or Products to any person, geographic region or jurisdiction. We may exercise this right on a case-by-case basis. We reserve the right to limit the quantities of any products or services that we offer. All descriptions of products or product pricing are subject to change at any time without notice, at the sole discretion of us. We reserve the right to discontinue any product at any time. Any offer for any product or service made on this site is void where prohibited. We do not warrant that the quality of any products, services, information, or other material purchased or obtained by you will meet your expectations, or that any errors in the Service will be corrected.
SECTION 6 – ACCURACY OF BILLING AND ACCOUNT INFORMATION
We reserve the right to refuse any order you place with us. We may, in our sole discretion, limit or cancel quantities purchased per person, per household or per order. These restrictions may include orders placed by or under the same customer account, the same credit card, and/or orders that use the same billing and/or shipping address. In the event that we make a change to or cancel an order, we may attempt to notify you by contacting the e-mail and/or billing address/phone number provided at the time the order was made. We reserve the right to limit or prohibit orders that, in our sole judgment, appear to be placed by dealers, resellers or distributors. You agree to provide current, complete and accurate purchase and account information for all purchases made at our store. You agree to promptly update your account and other information, including your email address and credit card numbers and expiration dates, so that we can complete your transactions and contact you as needed.
SECTION 7 – OPTIONAL TOOLS
We may provide you with access to third-party tools over which we neither monitor nor have any control nor input.
You acknowledge and agree that we provide access to such tools ”as is” and “as available” without any warranties, representations or conditions of any kind and without any endorsement. We shall have no liability whatsoever arising from or relating to your use of optional third-party tools. Any use by you of optional tools offered through the site is entirely at your own risk and discretion and you should ensure that you are familiar with and approve of the terms on which tools are provided by the relevant third-party provider(s). We may also, in the future, offer new services and/or features through the website (including, the release of new tools and resources). Such new features and/or services shall also be subject to these Terms of Service.
SECTION 8 – THIRD-PARTY LINKS
Certain content, products and services available via our Service may include materials from third-parties.
Third-party links on this site may direct you to third-party websites that are not affiliated with us. We are not responsible for examining or evaluating the content or accuracy and we do not warrant and will not have any liability or responsibility for any third-party materials or websites, or for any other materials, products, or services of third-parties.
We are not liable for any harm or damages related to the purchase or use of goods, services, resources, content, or any other transactions made in connection with any third-party websites. Please review carefully the third-party’s policies and practices and make sure you understand them before you engage in any transaction. Complaints, claims, concerns, or questions regarding third-party products should be directed to the third-party.
SECTION 9 – USER COMMENTS, FEEDBACK AND OTHER SUBMISSIONS
If, at our request, you send certain specific submissions (for example contest entries) or without a request from us you send creative ideas, suggestions, proposals, plans, or other materials, whether online, by email, by postal mail, or otherwise (collectively, ‘comments’), you agree that we may, at any time, without restriction, edit, copy, publish, distribute, translate and otherwise use in any medium any comments that you forward to us. We are and shall be under no obligation
(1) to maintain any comments in confidence;
(2) to pay compensation for any comments; or
(3) to respond to any comments.
We may, but have no obligation to, monitor, edit or remove content that we determine in our sole discretion are unlawful, offensive, threatening, libellous, defamatory, pornographic, obscene or otherwise objectionable or violates any party’s intellectual property or these Terms of Service. You agree that your comments will not violate any right of any third-party, including copyright, trademark, privacy, personality or another personal or proprietary right. You further agree that your comments will not contain libellous or otherwise unlawful, abusive or obscene material, or contain any computer virus or other malware that could in any way affect the operation of the Service or any related website. You may not use a false e-mail address, pretend to be someone other than yourself, or otherwise mislead us or third-parties as to the origin of any comments. You are solely responsible for any comments you make and their accuracy. We take no responsibility and assume no liability for any comments posted by you or any third-party.
SECTION 10 – PERSONAL INFORMATION
Your submission of personal information through the store is governed by our Privacy Policy. View our Privacy Policy.
SECTION 11 – ERRORS, INACCURACIES AND OMISSIONS
Occasionally there may be information on our site or in the Service that contains typographical errors, inaccuracies or omissions that may relate to product descriptions, pricing, promotions, offers, product shipping charges, transit times and availability. We reserve the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions, and to change or update information or cancel orders if any information in the Service or on any related website is inaccurate at any time without prior notice (including after you have submitted your order). We undertake no obligation to update, amend or clarify information in the Service or on any related website, including without limitation, pricing information, except as required by law. No specified update or refresh date applied in the Service or on any related website, should be taken to indicate that all information in the Service or on any related website has been modified or updated.
SECTION 12 – PROHIBITED USES
In addition to other prohibitions as set forth in the Terms of Service, you are prohibited from using the site or its content: (a) for any unlawful purpose; (b) to solicit others to perform or participate in any unlawful acts; (c) to violate any international, federal, provincial or state regulations, rules, laws, or local ordinances; (d) to infringe upon or violate our intellectual property rights or the intellectual property rights of others; (e) to harass, abuse, insult, harm, defame, slander, disparage, intimidate, or discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race, age, national origin, or disability; (f) to submit false or misleading information; (g) to upload or transmit viruses or any other type of malicious code that will or may be used in any way that will affect the functionality or operation of the Service or of any related website, other websites, or the Internet; (h) to collect or track the personal information of others; (i) to spam, phish, pharm, pretext, spider, crawl, or scrape; (j) for any obscene or immoral purpose; or (k) to interfere with or circumvent the security features of the Service or any related website, other websites, or the Internet. We reserve the right to terminate your use of the Service or any related website for violating any of the prohibited uses.
SECTION 13 – DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
We do not guarantee, represent or warrant that your use of our service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure or error-free.
We do not warrant that the results that may be obtained from the use of the service will be accurate or reliable.
You agree that from time to time we may remove the service for indefinite periods of time or cancel the service at any time, without notice to you. You expressly agree that your use of, or inability to use, the service is at your sole risk. The service and all products and services delivered to you through the service are (except as expressly stated by us) provided ‘as is’ and ‘as available’ for your use, without any representation, warranties or conditions of any kind, either express or implied, including all implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, merchantable quality, fitness for a particular purpose, durability, title, and non-infringement. In no case shall SOS Pride Society, our directors, officers, employees, affiliates, agents, contractors, interns, suppliers, service providers or licensors be liable for any injury, loss, claim, or any direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, special, or consequential damages of any kind, including, without limitation lost profits, lost revenue, lost savings, loss of data, replacement costs, or any similar damages, whether based in contract, tort (including negligence), strict liability or otherwise, arising from your use of any of the service or any products procured using the service, or for any other claim related in any way to your use of the service or any product, including, but not limited to, any errors or omissions in any content, or any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of the service or any content (or product) posted, transmitted, or otherwise made available via the service, even if advised of their possibility. Because some states or jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or the limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, in such states or jurisdictions, our liability shall be limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.
SECTION 14 – INDEMNIFICATION
You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless SOS Pride Society and our parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, officers, directors, agents, contractors, licensors, service providers, subcontractors, suppliers, interns and employees, harmless from any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, made by any third-party due to or arising out of your breach of these Terms of Service or the documents they incorporate by reference, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third-party.
SECTION 15 – SEVERABILITY
In the event that any provision of these Terms of Service is determined to be unlawful, void or unenforceable, such provision shall nonetheless be enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, and the unenforceable portion shall be deemed to be severed from these Terms of Service, such determination shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any other remaining provisions.
SECTION 16 – TERMINATION
The obligations and liabilities of the parties incurred prior to the termination date shall survive the termination of this agreement for all purposes. These Terms of Service are effective unless and until terminated by either you or us. You may terminate these Terms of Service at any time by notifying us that you no longer wish to use our Services, or when you cease using our site. If in our sole judgment you fail, or we suspect that you have failed, to comply with any term or provision of these Terms of Service, we also may terminate this agreement at any time without notice and you will remain liable for all amounts due up to and including the date of termination; and/or accordingly may deny you access to our Services (or any part thereof).
SECTION 17 – ENTIRE AGREEMENT
The failure of us to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms of Service shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. These Terms of Service and any policies or operating rules posted by us on this site or in respect to The Service constitutes the entire agreement and understanding between you and us and govern your use of the Service, superseding any prior or contemporaneous agreements, communications and proposals, whether oral or written, between you and us (including, but not limited to, any prior versions of the Terms of Service).
Any ambiguities in the interpretation of these Terms of Service shall not be construed against the drafting party.
SECTION 18 – CHANGES TO TERMS OF SERVICE
You can review the most current version of the Terms of Service at any time at this page. We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to update, change or replace any part of these Terms of Service by posting updates and changes to our website. It is your responsibility to check our website periodically for changes. Your continued use of or access to our website or the Service following the posting of any changes to these Terms of Service constitutes acceptance of those changes.
SECTION 19 – CONTACT INFORMATION
Questions about the Terms of Service should be sent to us here.
We may update our Terms & Conditions from time to time. When we make changes, we’ll update the “Effective Date” at the top of this Terms & Conditions page and post it on our sites. We encourage you to check back periodically to review our Terms & Conditions for any changes since your last visit.
Harrasment policy
Effective Date: November 2, 2021
Objective
South Okanagan Similkameen Pride Society strives to create and maintain an environment in which people are treated with dignity, decency and respect. The environment of the organization should be characterized by mutual trust and the absence of intimidation, oppression and exploitation. South Okanagan Similkameen Pride Society will not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind. Through enforcement of this policy and by education of our volunteers, we will seek to prevent, correct and take action towards behavior that violates this policy.
All volunteers, regardless of their positions, are covered by and are expected to comply with this policy and to take appropriate measures to ensure that prohibited conduct does not occur. Appropriate action will be taken against any volunteer who violates this policy. Based on the seriousness of the offense, actions may include verbal or written reprimand, suspension, or termination of the volunteer position.
Other volunteer positions in leadership capacities that knowingly allow or tolerate discrimination, harassment or retaliation, including the failure to immediately respond to a complaint, are in violation of this policy and subject to actions as mentioned above.
Prohibited Conduct Under This Policy
South Okanagan Similkameen Pride Society, in compliance with all applicable federal and provincial anti-discrimination and harassment laws and regulations, enforces this policy in accordance with the following definitions and guidelines:
Discrimination
It is a violation of South Okanagan Similkameen Pride’s policy to discriminate in the provision of volunteer opportunities, benefits or privileges; or to create discriminatory work conditions or standards for volunteering if the basis of that discriminatory treatment is, in whole or in part, the person's race, skin colour, national origin, age, religion, disability status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or marital status.
Discrimination of this kind is also strictly prohibited by a variety of federal and provincial laws. This policy is intended to comply with the prohibitions stated in anti-discrimination laws.
Discrimination in violation of this policy will be subject to measures up to and including termination of a volunteer’s position.
Harassment
South Okanagan Similkameen Pride Society prohibits harassment of any kind, including sexual harassment, and will take appropriate and immediate action in response to complaints or knowledge of violations of this policy. For purposes of this policy, harassment is any verbal or physical conduct designed to threaten, intimidate or coerce any person working in a volunteer capacity for or on behalf of South Okanagan Similkameen Pride Society.
The following examples of harassment are intended to be guidelines and are not exclusive when determining whether there has been a violation of this policy:
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Verbal harassment includes comments that are offensive or unwelcome regarding a person's national origin, race, skin colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, appearance, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status or other protected status, including epithets, slurs and negative stereotyping.
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Nonverbal harassment includes distribution, display or discussion of any written or graphic material that ridicules, denigrates, insults, belittles or shows hostility, aversion or disrespect toward an individual or group because of national origin, race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, appearance, disability, sexual identity, marital status or other protected status.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is a form of unlawful discrimination and is prohibited under South Okanagan Similkameen Pride’s anti-harassment policy. For the purpose of this policy sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for employment/volunteer position decisions or such conduct has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment.
Sexual harassment occurs when unsolicited and unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature:
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Is made explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of volunteer work.
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Is used as a basis for any volunteer position decision.
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Unreasonably interferes with a volunteer's abilities or duties or creates an intimidating, hostile or otherwise offensive environment.
Sexual harassment may take different forms. The following examples of sexual harassment are intended to be guidelines and are not exclusive when determining whether there has been a violation of this policy:
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Verbal sexual harassment includes innuendoes, suggestive comments, jokes of a sexual nature, sexual propositions, lewd remarks and threats; requests for any type of sexual favor (this includes repeated, unwelcome requests for dates); and verbal abuse or "kidding" that is oriented toward a prohibitive form of harassment, including that which is sexual in nature and unwelcome.
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Nonverbal sexual harassment includes the distribution, display or discussion of any written or graphic material, including calendars, posters and cartoons that are sexually suggestive or show hostility toward an individual or group because of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression; suggestive or insulting sounds; leering; staring; whistling; obscene gestures; content in letters, notes, facsimiles, e-mails, photos, text messages, tweets and Internet postings; or other forms of communication that are sexual in nature and offensive.
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Physical sexual harassment includes unwelcome, unwanted physical contact, including touching, tickling, pinching, patting, brushing up against, hugging, cornering, kissing, fondling, and forced sexual intercourse or assault.
Courteous, mutually respectful, pleasant, noncoercive interactions between volunteers that are appropriate and acceptable to and welcomed by both parties are not considered to be harassment, including sexual harassment.
Consensual Romantic or Sexual Relationships
Because South Okanagan Similkameen Pride Society does not employ paid staff and operates as a volunteer-based organization, we do not have a policy that discourages romantic or sexual relationships between our volunteers. We do not have a hierarchical structure or power imbalanced reporting structure within our organization, therefore we do not see this as a conflict as long as volunteers abide by all aspects of this policy.
Retaliation
No hardship, loss, benefit or penalty may be imposed on a volunteer in response to:
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Filing or responding to a bona fide complaint of discrimination or harassment.
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Appearing as a witness in the investigation of a complaint.
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Serving as an investigator of a complaint.
Lodging a bona fide complaint will in no way be used against the volunteer or have an adverse impact on the individual's status with the organization. However, filing groundless or malicious complaints is an abuse of this policy and will be treated as a violation.
Any person who is found to have violated this aspect of the policy will be subject to action up to and including termination of their volunteer position.
Confidentiality
All complaints and investigations are treated confidentially to the extent possible, and information is disclosed strictly on a need-to-know basis. The identity of the complainant is usually revealed to the parties involved during the investigation if required, and board of directors will take adequate steps to ensure that the complainant is protected from retaliation during and after the investigation. All information pertaining to a complaint or investigation under this policy will be maintained in secure files within the board of directors.
Complaint procedure
South Okanagan Similkameen Pride Society has established the following procedure for lodging a complaint of harassment, discrimination or retaliation. The organization will treat all aspects of the procedure confidentially to the extent reasonably possible.
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Complaints should be submitted as soon as possible after an incident has occurred, preferably in writing. The Board may assist the complainant in completing a written statement through the Secretary, or, in the event any volunteer refuses to provide information in writing, the Secretary will dictate the verbal complaint.
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Upon receiving a complaint or being advised that violation of this policy may be occurring, the Board of Directors will review the complaint. If the complaint refers to any member of the Board, that individual or individuals will be omitted from the review process.
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The Board will initiate a meeting to determine whether there is a reasonable basis for believing that the alleged violation of this policy occurred.
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Upon conclusion, the Board of Directors will submit a written conclusion of their findings. If it is determined that a violation of this policy has occurred, the Board will collectively recommend appropriate action. The appropriate action will depend on the following factors:
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a) the severity, frequency and pervasiveness of the conduct;
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b) prior complaints made by the complainant;
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c) prior complaints made against the respondent; and
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d) the quality of the evidence (e.g., firsthand knowledge, credible corroboration).
If the evidence is inconclusive or if it is determined that there has been no violation of policy but potentially problematic conduct may have occurred, the Board of Directors may recommend appropriate preventive action.
Once a final decision is made by the Board, the Board will meet with the complainant and the respondent separately and notify them of the findings and their decisions on further action. If action is to be taken, the respondent will be informed of the nature of the action and how it will be executed.
Alternative legal remedies
Nothing in this policy may prevent the complainant or the respondent from pursuing formal legal remedies or resolution through local, provincial or federal agencies or the courts.