A popular nightclub in Sydney, Australia has faced criticism for introducing new policies aimed at making the venue safer for revellers.
Club 77 released its Safe Spaces policy at the start of August, sharing the new rules in an Instagram post on August 4th.
The post read: "At Club 77 we are continuously striving to create a safer and truly open space for our patrons, artists and employees. We operate a zero-tolerance policy on harassment of any kind."
It added that the policy "goes beyond implementing practices to deal with incidents after they have happened", but also recognises their "obligation to educate new club-goers and help them understand what is considered unacceptable behaviour inside the venue and on the dance floor".
"As a nightclub, we encourage you to interact with strangers, however any engagement MUST begin with verbal consent.
"This also applies if you are, for example, staring at someone from afar. If the attention you are giving someone is unwanted, that is considered harassment."
The club added that if someone reports an incident which has made them feel uncomfortable, "the reported individual will be removed from the venue and the police will be called".
The example of "staring at someone from afar" has sparked considerable debate, however, the club's owner, Dane Gorrel, has defended the move, stressing the goal is to "educate people about safety and how to act responsibly".
Speaking to NCA NewsWire, Mr Gorrel said: "We are dealing with an unprecedented amount of young people, people who have never gone out before.
"Anyone that comes into our venue has a right to feel safe the entire time they are in the venue."
We all, in our own way, know what it's like to feel like somebody is intimidating us or harassing us
Closer to home, the chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Noeline Blackwell, has weighed in on the matter, explaining that staring is often used as a way to make someone feel uncomfortable.
"What [the club] are doing, I guess, is identifying ways in which someone can harass someone else.
"By staring at them, it can make them fell uncomfortable, it can make them feel like they're under pressure," Ms Blackwell told Newstalk.
"While staring might be singled-out by the club, the reality is that we all, in our own way, know what it's like to feel like somebody is intimidating us or harassing us, including by starring," she added.
