GayRyder and its Parent DRLT MEDIA is committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion among our workforce, content we promote, our customer base and those companies we work with as partners and eliminating unlawful discrimination, inside and outside of the workplace.
Our aim is for our workforce, content we promote, our customer base and those companies we work with as partners, to eventually be truly representative of all sections of society and our customers, and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best.
We understand and acknowledge that we work within an industry where peoples interests in the content we promote are varied and driven by a selection of factors including but not limited to; Personal sexual desire, fetishes, role play fantasies, and other sexual urges which are explicitly unique and personal to each person.
We acknowledge that peoples sexual desires can be driven by factors such as age, body-type, race, gender, or even body part, or sexual actions. While we aim to keep all our visitors happy we will commit to not using terms which are deemed to be discrimatory, derogatory or in anyway demeaning to a group of people, an example of this would be; while certain terms are generally deemed acceptable in marketing of porn such as “inter-racial” and even considered a fetish in porn on some sites, we feel this includes too much a focus on the colour of peoples skin and will refrain from its use, while still promoting scenes of this nature in a way which we believe is more a focus on the performers beauty and skill of action within a specific scene.
We will strive to work with partner studios, organisations and people who not only believe in our way of thinking with regards to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, but also follow through to putting this into practice. While we again acknowledge that some of our current partners do not follow this belief or do not seem to actively practice these goals we will commit to taking the higher ground, and instead of dropping partners directly, act to apply pressure where possible to bring them closer to a more inclusive way of working, while also actively dropping such partners who fail to be progressing towards a more inclusive, or outright act, promote themselves, or make known to us they will not adopt an inclusive way of working despite pressure from us.
We acknowledge that while we have a very small in-house workforce, and a small base of freelancers, and although those in our workforce come from a variety of different backgrounds, it is not currently a true representation of the diversity that is seen in society. We commit that when seeing growth in our business and in continuing to hire additional staff, or freelancers, or when offering promotions to current staffing, at all levels of our business we will not at any point discriminate, and hope that those who apply and be offered positions will be more represented of society as a whole. While we do not aim to actively “positively discriminate” and wish to offer those who are best suited to a role a position, we also want those who apply and get positions to feel comfortable, accepted and be given an opportunity to carry out their roles to the best of their ability without needing to worry about discrimination. We hope that in providing a safe and welcoming place of work that we will eventually see a truer equal workforce that closer mirrors that of the diversity in society.
In order to provide transparency we below have provided our extracted purpose and aims from our employment Equality Policy;
The organisation – in providing goods and/or services and/or facilities – is also committed against unlawful discrimination of customers or the public.
The policy statement’s purpose is to:
- Provide equality, fairness and respect for all in our employment, whether temporary, part-time or full-time
- Not unlawfully discriminate because of the Equality Act 2010 (United Kingdom Law) protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation
- Oppose and avoid all forms of unlawful discrimination. This includes in pay and benefits, terms and conditions of employment, dealing with grievances and discipline, dismissal, redundancy, leave for parents, requests for flexible working, and selection for employment, promotion, training or other developmental opportunities.
The organisation commits to:
- Encourage equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace as they are good practice and make business sense
- Create a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, promoting dignity and respect for all, and where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued.
This commitment includes training managers and all other employees about their rights and responsibilities under the equality, diversity and inclusion policy. Responsibilities include staff conducting themselves to help the organisation provide equal opportunities in employment, and prevent bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination.
All staff should understand they, as well as their employer, can be held liable for acts of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, in the course of their employment, against fellow employees, customers, suppliers and the public - Take seriously complaints of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination by fellow employees, customers, suppliers, visitors, the public and any others in the course of the organisation’s work activities.
Such acts will be dealt with as misconduct under the organisation’s grievance and/or disciplinary procedures, and appropriate action will be taken. Particularly serious complaints could amount to gross misconduct and lead to dismissal without notice.
Further, sexual harassment may amount to both an employment rights matter and a criminal matter, such as in sexual assault allegations. In addition, harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 – which is not limited to circumstances where harassment relates to a protected characteristic – is a criminal offence.
- Make opportunities for training, development and progress available to all staff, who will be helped and encouraged to develop their full potential, so their talents and resources can be fully utilised to maximise the efficiency of the organisation.
- Decisions concerning staff being based on merit (apart from in any necessary and limited exemptions and exceptions allowed under the Equality Act).
- Review employment practices and procedures when necessary to ensure fairness, and also update them and the policy to take account of changes in the law.
- Monitor the make-up of the workforce regarding information such as age, sex, ethnic background, sexual orientation, religion or belief, and disability in encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion, and in meeting the aims and commitments set out in the equality, diversity and inclusion policy.
Monitoring will also include assessing how the equality, diversity and inclusion policy, and any supporting action plan, are working in practice, reviewing them annually, and considering and taking action to address any issues.