1. Acceptance of Terms
By downloading, installing, or using the GayWhere mobile application ("App"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the App.
2. Description of Service
GayWhere is a mobile application that helps users discover LGBTQ+ venues, events, and happy hours. The App aggregates publicly available information from various sources to provide a centralized discovery platform. GayWhere is currently available in select cities in the United States, with plans to expand to additional cities. The App also includes an optional friends feature: you can connect with people you know, share which events you plan to attend, and invite each other to events.
3. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old to create an account and use the App. By using the App, you represent and warrant that you meet this age requirement.
4. User Accounts
To access certain features, you may need to sign in with Apple, Google, a one-time code sent to your email address, or a one-time code sent to your US phone number. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.
5. Acceptable Use
You agree not to use the App to:
- Harass, threaten, intimidate, or harm other users or venue staff, including through friend requests, event invites, or your profile
- Post or transmit content that is defamatory, obscene, sexually explicit, or that promotes hatred, violence, or discrimination
- Impersonate any person or entity, including by using someone else's name or photos on your profile
- Share another user's profile, photos, or event plans outside the App without their consent, or use the friends feature to reveal anyone's sexual orientation or whereabouts
- Use the App for any illegal purpose
- Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the App's systems or other users' accounts
- Scrape, crawl, or use automated means to access the App's content without our written permission
- Use the App to stalk, track, or surveil any individual
- Interfere with or disrupt the App's functionality
We have zero tolerance for objectionable content or abusive behavior. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms.
Profile Photo Standard
Your profile picture and profile photos must be of you and must follow one rule: shirtless, underwear, or swimwear photos are fine; a photo that shows a bare butt or genitals is not. Every photo is screened automatically before anyone can see it. A photo that fails the check is declined and never published, and you can try again with another one. We may remove any profile photo at our discretion, and repeated attempts to publish explicit photos may lead to account termination.
Reporting and Moderation
To keep the App safe and welcoming for the LGBTQ+ community, we apply the following moderation practices:
- Acceptance of Terms before sign-up: All users must explicitly agree to these Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy before creating an account or signing in. The agreement screen makes clear that there is zero tolerance for objectionable content or abusive behavior.
- Automated screening of profile photos: Every profile picture and profile photo is checked for nudity before it is shown to anyone (see Profile Photo Standard).
- Pre-publication review of submissions: Any photo a user submits for a venue, and any event a user submits, is held in a moderation queue and reviewed by our team before being published. Submissions that violate these Terms are rejected and removed from our servers.
- User reporting of content and people: You can report objectionable content or behavior directly from where it appears in the App:
- For another user: open their profile, tap the "..." menu and choose "Report".
- For any venue, event, party, or organization: tap the "..." menu on its detail page and choose "Report an Issue".
- For any user-submitted photo in a venue gallery: open the photo fullscreen and tap the warning (⚠️) icon in the top-left.
- Blocking users: You can block any user from their profile ("..." menu → Block) or from Settings → Blocked content. Blocking ends the friendship, removes any pending requests and invites between you, hides their venue photos from you, and stops them from seeing your profile and plans. Blocks take effect immediately and the other person is not told. If you experience harassment or abuse, you can also contact us at contact@gaywhere.app and we will investigate, suspend, or permanently ban the offending account.
- Removal of objectionable content: We reserve the right to remove any user-submitted content (profiles, photos, event submissions, reports, tag suggestions) that violates these Terms at our sole discretion, without prior notice, and to permanently terminate the account of any user who submits such content.
- 24-hour response commitment: We commit to reviewing and acting on every report of objectionable content or behavior within 24 hours of submission.
6. Content and Accuracy Disclaimer
Venue and Event Information
GayWhere aggregates information about venues and events from publicly available sources, including venue websites, social media, and third-party platforms. While we make reasonable efforts to keep information accurate and up to date:
- Venue details (hours, location, offerings) may change without notice. Always verify directly with the venue before visiting.
- Event information (dates, times, pricing, lineups) is sourced from third parties and may be subject to change or cancellation.
- Happy hour details may vary and are subject to change by the venue at any time.
- Friends' plans (going, maybe, can't go) are what your friends chose to share at the time and may change; they are not a commitment to attend.
GayWhere is an information aggregator. We do not operate, manage, or control any of the venues or events listed in the App.
7. Subscriptions and Payments
Free and Premium Tiers
GayWhere is free to download and use. We also offer an optional auto-renewable subscription, GayWhere Premium, which removes ads, unlocks personalization features such as custom accent colors, dark mode, and alternate app icons, and delivers friends notifications (for example, when a friend is going to an event you saved) as push notifications.
Premium is available in two billing options:
- Monthly: $2.99 per month
- Yearly: $19.99 per year
Prices may vary by region and are displayed in your local currency before purchase. Apple and Google may adjust prices in line with local taxes and exchange rates.
Boosts
A Boost is a one-time, non-renewing purchase that spotlights an event in the App for a fixed period (for example, 24 hours, 3 days, or 7 days). The duration and price are shown before you buy. A Boost starts when the purchase is confirmed, cannot be paused or transferred to another event, and is not refunded if the event is cancelled, changed, or removed. Boosts are subject to availability: a limited number of events can be spotlighted in a city at once.
Billing
On iPhone, subscriptions and Boosts are billed through Apple's App Store and charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. On Android, they are billed through Google Play and charged to your Google account. We never receive your payment details.
Renewal and Cancellation
Subscriptions automatically renew at the same price for the same billing period unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period.
You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time: on iPhone through Settings > [your name] > Subscriptions, on Android through Google Play > Payments & subscriptions. Cancelling stops future renewals but does not entitle you to a refund for the current billing period.
Refunds
Refund requests are handled by Apple or Google in accordance with their store refund policies. On iPhone, visit reportaproblem.apple.com; on Android, use the Google Play refund request. We do not process refunds directly.
8. User-Generated Content
You can submit content to the App: your profile (name, profile picture, photos, emoji, bio), your event plans and invites, event submissions, venue photos, reports, and tag suggestions ("User Content"). For all User Content:
- You retain ownership of your User Content.
- By submitting User Content, you grant GayWhere a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute your User Content within the App for the purpose of operating and improving the service.
- You represent that your User Content does not infringe on any third party's intellectual property or other rights, and that any photo of a person is of you or of someone who agreed to appear.
- Your profile and plans are shown only to the friends you accept, as described in our Privacy Policy. You are responsible for who you add as a friend.
- We reserve the right to remove any User Content that violates these Terms or that we deem inappropriate at our sole discretion.
9. Intellectual Property
The App, including its design, features, code, and branding (including the GayWhere name and logo), is owned by GayWhere and is protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or create derivative works based on the App without our written permission.
10. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law:
- GayWhere is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, express or implied.
- We are not responsible for any actions, events, or experiences that occur at venues or events listed in the App.
- We are not liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the App.
- We do not guarantee the safety, quality, legality, or suitability of any venue or event listed in the App.
- We are not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any third-party content displayed in the App.
11. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless GayWhere, its owners, officers, and affiliates from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from your use of the App, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any third party's rights.
12. Third-Party Services
The App may contain links to or integrations with third-party services (such as Eventbrite, venue websites, or mapping services). We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or availability of these third-party services. Your use of third-party services is governed by their respective terms and policies.
13. Modifications to the Service
We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the App at any time, with or without notice. We will make reasonable efforts to notify users of significant changes.
14. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Terms in the App and updating the "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
15. Termination
We may suspend or terminate your access to the App at any time, for any reason, including violation of these Terms. Upon termination, your right to use the App ceases immediately. You may delete your account at any time through the App's settings.
16. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the App shall be resolved in the courts located in San Francisco County, California.
17. Severability
If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.
18. Contact Us
If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us at:
GayWhere
Email: contact@gaywhere.app