A Sydney nightclub has been praised for adopting a safety policy that includes potentially removing patrons who are staring at nightclub goers without their consent.
Club 77, in the inner-city suburb of Darlinghurst, will have a security guard wearing a high-visibility pink vest who can be approached by patrons who feel they are being harassed.
Dane Gorrel says the club is creating a safe space for people to enjoy their night.
"Harassment is a big issue … that we've seen happening around the world, especially in venues," Mr Gorrel told ABC Radio Sydney Breakfast presenter James Valentine.
"We're just trying to be one step ahead of it.
"Any unwanted attention is deemed as harassment and it's just being dealt with accordingly now."
Mr Gorrel said the club updated its safety policy after speaking to people in the community and in local and international music scenes.
"We're just sort of adopting the same similar practices [that are] happening all around the world with venues like ours," Mr Gorrel said.
The club announced the update to its safety and harassment policy to its patrons in an Instagram post, saying any engagement must begin with verbal consent.
"This also applies if you are, for example, staring at someone from afar," the post said.
"If the attention you are giving someone is unwanted, that is considered harassment."
Staring and leering are considered examples of sexual harassment, according to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Be cool or be kicked out
Vice-chair of the Night Time Industries Association and former Venue 505 owner Kerri Glasscock said she was happy to see the proactive promotion of a safe environment.
She said she always felt she had to be on the alert when she went out as a young woman.
"We constantly dealt with unwanted attention and harassment, pretty much nightly," Ms Glasscock said.
"It's fantastic to see people, you know, not waiting until something terrible happens."
Ms Glasscock said her old venue – a jazz club in the city – had zero tolerance for harassment.
"We just were really mindful of creating an environment that was safe and where people could just be themselves," she said.
"We would always kick someone out if they were not being cool."
Olivia texted ABC Radio Sydney to label Club 77's decision a "game changer".
"I'm a 31-year-old woman and it's such a pain when you have a creep who is staring at you or following you around and security are not paying attention, even when you try and alert them," Olivia said.
Internet users offended by the change have been targeting the club's online by giving it one-star reviews.
Supportive users have been giving it five-star reviews in response.
