Hotel Zed, a B.C. hotel chain, is partnering with Good Night Out, a non-profit focused on sexual violence prevention to launch a crowdfunding campaign on Nov. 30, the International Day of Consent.
To support the Vancouver-based program that launched a Victoria Street Team in June, Hotel Zed will match all donations to Good Night Out up to $25,000 through the end of 2024.
Good Night Out is focused on increasing safety in the nightlife and hospitality industry by educating on sexual violence and patrolling the streets to offer a helping hand or supplies to anyone who needs them.
Hotel Zed has long touted a brand of sex-positivity – an open, tolerant or progressive attitude toward sex and sexuality – notably with their cheeky Valentine's Nooner campaigns. Hotel Zed founder and CEO Mandy Farmer spoke to why they wanted to stand behind Good Night Out's cause.
“As an owner of hotels, a bar and restaurant, I know how important safety is to everyone in these spaces,” Farmer said in a press release. “Good Night Out is a grassroots organization dedicated to exactly that and we have been proud to support their efforts for the last three years.”
Education on consent and sex positivity appears to have grown culturally but organizations such as Good Night Out point out that there is still work to be done. Less than half (45 per cent) of Canadians fully understand the legal definition of consent, according to 2022 research by the Canadian Women's Foundation. Canadian law states that consent should be both positive and ongoing and the majority of survey respondents did not know both indicators are needed.
Meanwhile, sexual assault remains a common crime in B.C. In 2019, 37 per cent of women and 11 per cent of men in B.C. reported being sexually assaulted since age 15, according to the Government of B.C.
Good Night Out Victoria, since launching in June 2024, had 52 contacts (defined as any situation a team encounters) supporting 113 people as of July. In a report from the organization, examples of these were outlined and included check-ins with people who were kicked out of clubs, providing emotional support for a person who had been groped, and intervening in situations where lone persons were approached by a stranger and appeared uncomfortable.
The organization also hosts educational workshops, including for workplaces.
Stacey Forrester, co-founder of Good Night Out Vancouver, said the money raised will go towards operational funding, one of the "challenges that many non-profits face."
"It is the less glamorous, but critical funding that helps 'keep the lights on' and allows us to do the important sexual violence prevention programming that we do," she said.
The crowdfunding campaign, which kicks off Nov. 30, will help the non-profit organization fund the work it is doing. More information can be found at goodnightoutvancouver.com/donate-1.
There is also a raffle for one Taylor Swift ticket which a community member donated to the campaign.
“We dream of safer nights out for all, protective nightlife and hospitality spaces, and widespread knowledge about ethical consent,” says Stacey Forrester, education coordinator at Good Night Out. “Our mission is to build community capacity against sexual violence in nightlife and hospitality sectors, and to increase the safety and well-being of those who participate in these spaces, reinforcing a consent culture.”
