Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you and lgbtdb ("we," "our," or "us") governing your access to and use of the lgbtdb website and platform (the "Service").

By creating an account, submitting content, or otherwise using lgbtdb, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use the Service.

We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time. We will notify you of material changes by email or via a notice on the platform. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

2. Description of Service

lgbtdb is a community-driven platform that provides:

• A directory of LGBTQ+-friendly venues, spaces, and businesses worldwide
• Community ratings and reviews of venues
• A calendar of LGBTQ+ events and Pride celebrations
• A curated directory of LGBTQ+ resources including health, legal, and mental health services
• A community forum for sharing experiences, questions, and support
• Tools to submit and update venue listings

The Service is free to use. Browsing venue listings, events, and resources does not require an account. Creating an account allows you to submit venues, write reviews, and participate in the community.

3. Eligibility

To create an account on lgbtdb, you must:

• Be at least 13 years of age. If you are between 13 and 18, you represent that a parent or guardian has reviewed and consented to these Terms.
• Provide accurate, truthful information when creating your account.
• Not be barred from using the Service under applicable law.
• Not have had a previous lgbtdb account permanently suspended for violations of these Terms.

lgbtdb is intended to be a safe and inclusive space for the LGBTQ+ community and allies. Users who join in bad faith to harass, intimidate, or harm community members are not welcome and will be removed.

4. Your Account

4.1 Account Responsibility

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. Notify us immediately at support@lgbtdb.com if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.

4.2 Account Accuracy

You agree to provide accurate information and to keep your account information up to date. You may not impersonate another person, create a misleading username, or create an account on behalf of an entity without authorisation.

4.3 Account Termination

You may delete your account at any time in the Settings section of the platform. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, with or without prior notice depending on the severity of the violation.

5. Community Guidelines and Acceptable Use

5.1 What We Expect

lgbtdb is built on the principle that LGBTQ+ people deserve safe, reliable, community-maintained information. All users are expected to:

• Contribute honestly — submit accurate venue information and write genuine reviews based on real experiences.
• Treat others with dignity and respect in community posts and comments.
• Support, not harm, the community the platform serves.
• Flag inaccurate or harmful content rather than retaliating.

5.2 Prohibited Conduct

The following are strictly prohibited on lgbtdb:

• Hate speech and discrimination: Content that attacks, demeans, or dehumanises any person or group based on sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, nationality, or other protected characteristics.
• Harassment and threats: Targeting, intimidating, or threatening other users, whether in community posts, reviews, or any other feature.
• Outing: Revealing or speculating about another person's sexual orientation, gender identity, HIV status, or other private information without their explicit consent.
• Misinformation: Deliberately submitting false, inaccurate, or misleading venue information, fake reviews, or fabricated event listings.
• Spam and commercial abuse: Posting unsolicited promotional content, running fake review campaigns, or using the platform for commercial gain in ways not authorised by us.
• Impersonation: Pretending to be another person, organisation, or community figure.
• Illegal content: Posting or sharing content that violates any applicable law, including content that infringes intellectual property rights, constitutes defamation, or violates privacy laws.
• Platform abuse: Attempting to interfere with, reverse-engineer, scrape, or damage the platform, its infrastructure, or other users' experience.
• Underage exploitation: Any content that sexualises minors is strictly prohibited and will be reported to law enforcement.

5.3 Content Moderation

We reserve the right to review, edit, or remove any content that violates these guidelines, at our sole discretion. Venue submissions go through a moderation review before being published. We may act on reports from community members. Repeated or egregious violations may result in permanent account suspension.

6. User Content

6.1 Ownership

You retain ownership of the content you create and submit to lgbtdb, including reviews, community posts, and venue submissions.

6.2 Licence to Us

By submitting content to lgbtdb, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual licence to use, display, reproduce, modify, and distribute that content in connection with the operation of the Service. This includes displaying your reviews publicly, showing venue information in search results, and using aggregated data for platform improvement.

6.3 Anonymous Posts

When you post anonymously, your username is not publicly associated with the content. However, we retain internal records linking content to accounts for moderation and legal compliance purposes. Anonymous posting does not grant immunity from these Terms.

6.4 Accuracy of Submissions

You are responsible for the accuracy of content you submit. Do not submit venues you have not visited, write reviews for experiences you did not have, or fabricate event information. We rely on community honesty to serve the LGBTQ+ community well.

7. Venue Listings and Information

Venue information on lgbtdb is community-contributed and moderated, but we cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or current status of any listing. Venues change: they close, change ownership, change their policies, or alter their character.

Safety disclaimer: We make no guarantee that any listed venue is currently safe, welcoming, or LGBTQ+-friendly. Always use your judgement, check current reviews, and be aware of local laws and conditions when visiting venues — particularly when travelling to regions where LGBTQ+ identities may not be legally or socially protected.

If you believe a venue listing is inaccurate, unsafe, or harmful, please report it using the flag feature on the venue page or email us at venues@lgbtdb.com.

8. Intellectual Property

The lgbtdb name, logo, design, and all original content created by us (including but not limited to software code, written content, and visual assets) are owned by lgbtdb and protected by intellectual property laws.

You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from our proprietary content without express written permission. You may share links to our platform and quote brief excerpts with attribution.

If you believe that content on lgbtdb infringes your intellectual property rights, please contact us at legal@lgbtdb.com with details of the alleged infringement.

9. Privacy

Your use of lgbtdb is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. We encourage you to read it carefully. It explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights over your personal information — including special protections for sensitive LGBTQ+ identity information.

10. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

10.1 Service Provided "As Is"

lgbtdb is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or that venue information will be accurate or current.

10.2 No Professional Advice

Nothing on lgbtdb constitutes legal advice, medical advice, mental health advice, or any other form of professional advice. Resource listings are provided for informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified professional for your specific situation.

10.3 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, lgbtdb and its operators shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of, or inability to use, the Service — including damages resulting from reliance on venue information, interactions with other users, or safety situations encountered at listed venues.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless lgbtdb and its operators from any claims, losses, damages, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your violation of these Terms, your use of the Service, or your infringement of any third-party rights.

12. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with applicable law. We encourage you to contact us first to resolve any dispute informally before pursuing legal remedies.

If you have a complaint or concern about the Service, please contact us at support@lgbtdb.com. We will make every reasonable effort to resolve issues fairly and promptly.

13. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without cause, at our discretion — particularly in cases of violations of these Terms, harmful conduct toward community members, or circumstances where your continued access poses a risk to the platform or other users.

Upon termination, all provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive will survive, including ownership provisions, disclaimers, indemnity, and limitations of liability.

14. Miscellaneous

• Entire agreement: These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and lgbtdb.
• Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.
• No waiver: Our failure to enforce any right or provision shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.
• No assignment: You may not assign your rights or obligations under these Terms to any third party without our prior written consent.
• Language: These Terms are written in English. Any translations are provided for convenience only. The English version controls in the event of any conflict.

15. Contact Us

For questions about these Terms, please contact us: