terms of service

Membership is a curated community of individuals, rich in alternative lifestyle communities (including but not limited to kink, BDSM, LGBTQIA+, historic reenactment, cosplay, and/or merfolk). All information regarding membership tiers and what is included is detailed within our Membership Information and Membership Tiers.

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Personal identification information of members is strictly confidential and will not be shared with any party for any reason (except in the case of being required by law enforcement due to an ongoing investigation of the member and their actions at The Index, examples including to rape, violent crime, etc.).

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Noncompliance with any member expectations may be cause for immediate removal from membership and further legal recourse.

 

Section 6.01 All members, regardless of tier, must adhere to Article 4. Guest Policies & Procedures and Article 5. Venue Utilization Guide.

 

Section 6.02 Individuals seeking membership do not have the intent of undermining, spying, or otherwise deceiving the Owners, other members, or anyone on the premises.

 

Section 6.03 Those who are in the employment or under direction of law enforcement, media publication, government, news reporting, or other form of public service where law is incorporated, are seeking membership off duty and will not be on premises in a working capacity.

Submitting, publishing, or utilizing any form of media taken on premises for public use without the approval of the Owners is seen as a serious violation of The Index’s ethics.

 

Section 6.04 In order to become a member, filling out the Membership Application in totality with transparency and truthfulness is required.

The membership application will be reviewed in a timely manner by the Owners on a case by case basis. This is a subjective process, and no person is entitled to membership for any reason.

 

Membership shall be determined without regard for ethnicity, race, color, gender, natal anatomy, outward presentation, religious or political alignment, immigration status, romantic/sexual orientation, ability/disability, or any other form of personal identifier not related to the ethics and values of The Index.

 

Section 6.05 Any form of felony convictions must be disclosed within the membership application. Members must not maintain current, ongoing, or pending charges of hate crimes, assault, sexual assault, or other violent crimes (such as arson, armed robbery, spousal abuse, ect.).

The Index will not be involved in ongoing litigation and/or investigation for any member, regardless of situation. In the case that they will be needed to testify, the Owners of The Index will speak on behalf of themselves as citizens and not Index Retreats LLC.

 

Section 6.06 Members must financially maintain their yearly or monthly dues to retain membership, which will be valid for up to one (1) year upon becoming a member. Renewal is subject to approval by the Owners, and the Terms of Service must be signed yearly to ensure compliance.

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Section 6.07 In addition to the care of the venue outlined in Article 4. Guest Policies & Procedures and Article 5. Venue Utilization Guide, members are expected to respect and treat the venue with care and diligence beyond what is expected of a typical guest or client.

This includes notifying the Owners if something breaks or is damaged immediately (and possibly covering the costs if the cause was by the member), cleaning up after oneself, taking out trash or notifying the Owners if there is a trash overflow, notifying the Owners if there is a lack of supplies, etc. The Index should be treated as a second home by members, without requiring the Owners to do additional labor on behalf of members (especially on Library Days).

 

Section 6.08 Discriminatory ideologies, words, phrases, or other verbiage that other, shame, or degrade members or individuals in the community because of their personal demographics (race, color, disability, ability, intellect, class, religion, gender, orientation, etc.) or their demographics within kink (side of the slash, fetish, etc.) will not be tolerated.

This includes but is not limited to micro- and macroagressions.

 

In the case of lack of education, ignorance, or otherwise misunderstanding, the Owners may opt to require a member to engage in DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) training at the member’s own expense in order to retain membership.

 

Section 6.09 Members must be respectful of scheduled times and will arrive no more than 15 minutes early to any operational hours of The Index (without prior approval from the Owners) and leave no later than when the doors officially close.

 

Section 6.10 Intimate contact, touch, and/or play (including but not limited to hugging/embrace, scenes, sex, or other form of activity where bodily contact occurs) is never guaranteed, expected, or required from anyone or anything at any time. 

 

Section 6.11 Authentic consent is required for all parties participating in an activity (scene, play, or other form of intimacy or engagement). 

Consent follows two models: 1) opt-in, or 2) opt-out. 

 

“Opt-in” refers to the act of agreeing to specific activities. This implies that anything outside of the boundaries of what has been agreed to is strictly off limits and off the table for utilizing during the engagement. Crossing those boundaries is considered a violation of consent.

 

“Opt-out” refers to the act of disallowing specific activities, while all other activities are permitted within an agreed upon framework. This implies that only the specific activities must be avoided during the engagement. Crossing those boundaries is considered a violation of consent.

 

The consent modality chosen is to be understood, clearly communicated, and agreed upon by all parties prior to participating in an activity. Consent may be given via written, verbal, signed, or other form of accessible communication.

 

Section 6.12 Touching, stealing, or otherwise interacting physically with others’ belongings (including but not limited to clothing, hair, kink gear, people, etc.) is strictly prohibited and considered a violation of bodily/ownership autonomy.

 

Section 6.13 Consent violations, regardless of severity, are taken as a serious incident that will be processed through our accountability process (outlined in Article 8. Accountability, Repercussions, & Response to Incidents).

 

Section 6.14 Members may not share the venue’s and/or other members’ sensitive information, including but not limited to exact location, legal name, photographs including the face or other identifiable information, or personal contact information.

In lieu of this, members may not out (either intentionally or unintentionally) the Owners, other members, or other permitted guests on premises. 

 

Privacy is a cornerstone of The Index’s mission, and all members are expected to respect the privacy and discretion of others in the venue. The following are considered forms of outing. 

6.14.01 Taking, posting, or sending photos of others in the venue without explicit consent to any form of social media or via any form of communication method.

6.14.02 Sharing anecdotes or experiences via any form of media without explicit consent.

6.14.03 Utilizing personal information to defame or otherwise implicate others in the venue to their workplace, families, or others who may be able to commit harm with the aforementioned information.

Reporting incidents of violation, assault, or other safety concerns/issues may be an exception.

 

Section 6.15 Members may not encourage or aid in bringing unverified people onto the premises who are not members or who do not have explicit permission from the Owners to be on premises. This includes forcing or coercing others against their will to be on premises.

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Section 6.16 Respect and acceptance of others who 1) utilize various dynamic protocols, 2) engage in various levels of power imbalance, or 3) approach kink and/or alternative lifestyles in various ways is expected.

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Section 6.17 Members may not provide their vouchers (discounted or free) for lodging reservations to any person. The member must be the person creating the reservation in order to utilize the voucher.

 

Section 6.18 Concerns of any nature (including but not limited to issues with other members, the venue itself, or the Owners) must be directly addressed with the Owners of The Index or their accountability team. In the case that security and/or safety is not present or conducive to direct conversation, members may opt to utilize the steps within Article 8. Accountability, Repercussions, & Response to Incidents.

 

Library Days

Library Days were created to address the community need for a venue where alcohol, play, and other forms of intimacy were not central to the experience or accessing the venue. Library Days provide members access to The Index's facilities (excluding the play rooms), and may include activities like discussion groups, crafts, movie nights, or other experiences that do not include play or sex (as defined in Article 7.03 Play, Sex, Intimacy, & Other Forms of Engagement). 

 

Members can enjoy coffee and light refreshments while perusing our books and historical documents, swim in the mermaid pool or lounge on the decks, and engage in enthralling conversation with other members. Members who engage in restricted activities during Library Days will have their membership revoked and may be indefinitely barred from further membership opportunities.