The All Are Welcome Agreement

Posted: October 26, 2022 in Human Rights Commission - Resources

The All Are Welcome Agreement sticker symbolizes all of us. Choosing to display it so your customers see it shows that you and your employees agree to make all of your customers feel welcome and safe:

  • You agree that your business is a safe place for people of all genders, races, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, ages, abilities, sizes, socioeconomic statuses, education levels, and family structures.
  • You educate yourself and your employees on actions that make people feel unsafe and unwelcome (e.g. following them in a store, ignoring them, anticipating what they can afford).
  • You encourage your customers to give you feedback on how safe and welcome they feel.
  • Once you and your employees have this new information from customer feedback or education, you will talk with each other to refine your policies and procedures to make sure everyone feels welcome and safe.

If you find a customer’s behavior objectionable, begin by checking your own biases. For example, if the behavior was made be someone of a different gender or race, would you still find the behavior problematic?

  • If the answer is yes, let them know the problem. In some cases, you might even use the All Are Welcome sign to explain the expected behavior in your establishment.
  • If the answer is no, consider that it’s not their behavior that is problematic by your perception of who they are and how they should act.

Welcoming everyone all the time can be challenging. We are all learning how to do better together. The Decorah Human Rights Commission (DHRC) and the City of Decorah appreciate all of your efforts to make Decorah a welcoming and safe community for everyone.

Visit the DHRC page to learn more about the commission and Iowa civil rights.

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