New bills in City Council will require bars to fight sexual harassment

There’s a new bill that will combat sexual harassment in New York City’s nightlife scene. As reported by CityLab, the bill “would require nightlife establishments to display ‘conspicuous signage’ declaring their space ‘harassment free.’ The signs would also inform patrons that harassment can be reported to security or staff, and offer a list of government resources to help victims.” Plus, any establishment with five or more employees will be required to provide annual sexual harassment training for workers.

And, that’s not the only bill on the table. CityLab continued to report:

A separate bill would task the Office of Nightlife with creating an online listing of sexual harassment resources for nightlife establishments, and a proposed resolution calls for mandatory “sexual harassment prevention and bystander intervention training for all security guards who work in nightlife establishments.” This would expand current security guard training requirements that cover legal authority, ethics and conduct, and public relations.

Essentially, these two bills could completely overhaul safety and common norms in our city’s nightlife scene. And, let’s be frank: sexual assault and harassment has no place anytime or anywhere, especially in our nightlife scene.

NYC’s senior executive director of the Office of Nightlife, Ariel Palitz feels the same way. “Sexual assault and harassment has no place in our nightlife spaces or anywhere. At the Office of Nightlife, we are happy to engage in partnerships with experts who are on the ground to develop an awareness campaign to encourage businesses to post helpful information to keep their patrons safe and free from harassment.” Bravo.

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