🌈 Pryde Social — Community Guidelines

1. Our Core Values

Pryde Social is grounded in:

• Safety: Protecting our community from harm, harassment, and hate
• Respect: Honouring each person's identity, pronouns, and lived experience
• Authenticity: Creating space for genuine self-expression and connection
• Care: Supporting one another with kindness and emotional intelligence
• Inclusion: Welcoming all LGBTQ+ identities and respectful allies

2. Respect LGBTQ+ Identities

LGBTQ+ identities, rights, and existence are not up for debate.

• Always use people's correct pronouns and chosen names
• Respect all gender identities, sexual orientations, and relationship structures
• No misgendering, deadnaming, or identity invalidation
• No "devil's advocate" arguments about LGBTQ+ rights or existence
• No promotion of conversion therapy or similar harmful practices
• No fetishisation of LGBTQ+ people or relationships

This is non-negotiable. Queer people should not have to justify their existence or educate others in bad faith.

3. Be Kind & Respectful

We protect this space through care, not punishment.

• Treat others with empathy and emotional intelligence
• Listen to understand, especially when someone shares their lived experience
• Disagree respectfully — focus on ideas, not personal attacks
• Respect boundaries when someone says "no" or asks you to stop
• No harassment, bullying, threats, or targeted attacks
• No doxxing (sharing private information without consent)
• No sea-lioning or bad-faith debate tactics

If a conversation becomes unproductive or harmful, disengage and report if necessary.

4. Nudity & Mature Content (18+ Only)

Pryde supports artistic expression, body positivity, and authentic LGBTQ+ identity. We believe queer bodies and self-expression deserve space without shame.

Allowed (with Content Warning where appropriate):

• Artistic nudity
• Body-positive photography
• Performance-based imagery (e.g., dance, stage performance)
• Non-explicit nudity not intended for sexual arousal
• Mature discussion about sexuality or sexual health

Content containing nudity or sensitive themes must use the appropriate Content Warning (CW) tag. Posts may be blurred for users who choose to hide CW content. Viewers can manually reveal posts if they wish.

Not Allowed:

• Explicit sexual acts
• Pornographic or arousal-focused content
• Bedroom-style self-shot nudes intended for sexual gratification
• Commercial adult promotion
• Content involving minors in any sexual context

If content appears designed primarily to arouse rather than express, it may be removed.

Profile & Banner Images: Nudity or suggestive content is not permitted in profile photos or cover banners.

Important: You are responsible for ensuring all media you upload involves consenting adults. See our Terms of Service for more details.

5. What We Don't Tolerate

We have zero tolerance for:

• Hate speech: Slurs, derogatory language, or attacks based on identity (race, gender, sexuality, disability, religion, etc.)
• Harassment: Targeted abuse, bullying, stalking, or intimidation
• Bad-faith debate: Arguing against LGBTQ+ rights, existence, or validity
• Identity invalidation: Denying or questioning someone's gender, sexuality, or lived experience
• Fetishisation: Objectifying LGBTQ+ people or treating identities as a kink
• Hate symbols or imagery: Nazi symbols, Confederate flags, or similar hateful iconography

These behaviours cause real harm. We remove them to protect our community.

6. GIF Content & Usage

When using GIFs (powered by Tenor):

• Ensure GIFs are appropriate and comply with these guidelines
• Do not use GIFs containing hate speech, violence, or explicit sexual content
• Do not spam GIFs in posts, comments, or Lounge
• Respect copyright and intellectual property in GIF content

You are responsible for the GIFs you select and share.

7. Lounge (Global Chat) Rules

The Lounge is a public space for connection and conversation.

• Be welcoming and kind to all participants
• Respect the same community standards that apply everywhere on Pryde
• Do not spam messages or flood the chat
• Do not share explicit sexual content in Lounge
• Do not harass, bully, or target other users
• Do not share personal information (yours or others')
• Keep conversations appropriate for a shared public space

If the Lounge feels unsafe, we may temporarily restrict access while we address the issue.

8. Reaction Etiquette

When using reactions:

• Use reactions to express genuine engagement and support
• Do not spam reactions on posts or comments
• Do not use reactions to harass, mock, or belittle users

Misuse of reactions may result in temporary restrictions.

9. Illegal Content

Absolutely prohibited:

• CSAM (child sexual abuse material) — zero tolerance, immediate ban
• Revenge porn or non-consensual intimate content
• Illegal drug sales or trafficking
• Fraud, scams, or phishing
• Credible threats or incitement to violence

We report severe violations to law enforcement when necessary.

10. Network & Technical Misuse

You may NOT:

• Attempt to hack the platform or gain unauthorized access
• Scrape large amounts of data or use automated bots
• Attack our servers or infrastructure (DDoS, etc.)
• Attempt to bypass security measures or access controls
• Distribute malware, viruses, or phishing links
• Reverse engineer or decompile our software

Misleading Behavior:

• Creating fake accounts or impersonating others
• Catfishing or deceptive relationships
• Fraudulent fundraising or scams
• Spreading misinformation or coordinated manipulation

Technical misuse and deceptive behavior undermine trust and safety. Violations may result in immediate account suspension or permanent ban.

11. Reporting & Enforcement

Your safety matters. Here's what you can do:

• Block the user: Go to their profile → three-dot menu → Block User
• Report the content: Use the report button on posts, comments, or messages
• Reach out: Contact us at support@prydeapp.com
• Use privacy tools: Adjust your privacy settings, enable Quiet Mode, or make your account private

See our Safety & Moderation page for more resources and support.

12. How We Respond to Violations

We approach moderation as care and protection, not punishment.

Depending on the severity and context, we may:

• Temporarily hide content while a human reviews it — this is reversible and doesn't mean you've done something wrong
• Issue a private note with context and guidance
• Temporarily restrict access to certain features (Lounge, reactions, messaging)
• Temporarily suspend the account
• Permanently ban the account for the most serious violations

Automated systems may temporarily hide content if it matches patterns associated with identity-based harm. These decisions are always reviewable by a human and can be appealed by reaching out to us.

Severe violations (CSAM, credible threats, hate speech, targeted harassment) result in immediate permanent bans.

Our goal is to protect the community while giving people room to learn and grow. If a moderation action feels wrong, talk to us — we're human too.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about these guidelines or need support:

We're here to help create a safer, kinder space for everyone.