We at glbtq, Inc. ("glbtq") value the privacy of our visitors and members. Therefore, keeping your personal information secure and using it to ensure that you get the very best service are top priorities at glbtq.com. This privacy policy defines the ways we collect and use information provided by visitors and members. By accessing, browsing, and/or using our Web site, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy in conjunction with this site's Terms of Service.

Where Information is Stored

All personal information we collect is stored on a password-protected section of our Web server. Our Web server is located in a locked, limited access data center.

What We Collect

• Membership Information and Private Messages

Prospective glbtq members are asked to create a member profile by completing a form at registration. The profile allows members to choose to allow other members to view some of the information in their profiles and allows members to enter information they wish to make public. If you chose to make elements such as your e-mail address or ICQ number public, all site members and visitors will be able to view those elements. If not, only you and authorized glbtq staff may view your profile.

glbtq does not share member profiles with business partners or advertisers. If issues arise that affect a specific member, glbtq staff may use the e-mail address in that member's profile to communicate with the member.

One of the options in the User Profile is to turn on personal messages. If you elect to turn on personal messages, you may send messages to and receive messages from other members. These messages are stored on glbtq's Web server. Unless we need to access these messages for legal, safety, or technical reasons, or in a manner consistent with this Privacy Policy, we do not read members' personal messages.

Members may also elect to have themselves automatically logged in by glbtq's servers. If you select automatic login or "remember my password," a persistent cookie will be set on your computer that identifies you to glbtq's server. glbtq's server does not use this cookie to track your behavior on the site and we do not share it with business partners or advertisers. A "cookie" is a small text file that does not personally identify users, although it does identify a user's computer. "Cookies" do not pose a threat to your computer, and they do not contain viruses. Most Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can change this feature in your browser.

You may update your profile or cancel your membership at any time by selecting the appropriate choice in the login menu.

• Web Logs

Like most Web sites, www.glbtq.com maintains Web logs that record the IP addresses and other information about all site visitors, but do not provide personally identifying information. This information is used in aggregate to help us develop new site features, to assess the demographics of the community that visits glbtq.com, and to tabulate traffic statistics. We share aggregate Web log data with advertisers and other business partners. We make no effort to associate individually identifying information with data contained in our Web logs and we do not share IP addresses with advertisers or business partners.

• Newsletter Subscription

Site members and visitors may subscribe to glbtq's newsletters. Newsletters are sent via broadcast e-mail to subscribers. The e-mail address provided in your request for a newsletter subscription is used only for distributing the newsletter. glbtq does not share the newsletter mailing list with advertisers or business partners.

You may unsubscribe by entering your e-mail address in the newsletter subscription box on glbtq's home page and clicking on the unsubscribe link or by following the unsubscribe link included in each newsletter e-mail.

• Marketing Surveys

From time to time, glbtq conducts online marketing surveys. Information provided by members and visitors in the surveys is used to compile aggregate statistics about site visitors, such as visitor demographics, interests, and purchasing habits. We share these aggregate statistics with advertisers and business partners. glbtq makes no effort to associate individually identifying information with data collected in marketing surveys.

• Ad Server

glbtq places advertisements on its Web site using its own ad server and does not contract with any third parties for ad serving. We encourage you to visit our advertisers' Web sites, though those sites are not bound by glbtq's privacy policy. To ascertain the privacy practices of our advertisers, please read their individual privacy policies (see the "Privacy Practices of Other Web Sites" Section of this Privacy Policy).

glbtq's ad server uses cookies to rotate advertisements on its pages so that you see a variety of advertisements rather than a single one repeatedly. glbtq does not associate these cookies with any individually identifying information.

Advertisers may set a cookie to control their own ad rotations. glbtq does not carry advertising from sources that use cookies to identify visitors.

• Tell A Friend

glbtq provides a Tell-a-Friend feature that permits site visitors to send e-mail messages to others. You may opt out from receiving any additional messages by clicking on the Tell-A-Friend "opt out" link at the bottom of every message the Tell-A-Friend system sends.

glbtq stores the e-mail addresses and any visitor messages supplied in the Tell-A-Friend entry page and uses this information to track any abuses of the Tell-A-Friend system. glbtq does not share this information with advertisers or business partners. glbtq uses this information to assess the popularity of individual entries in the glbtq encyclopedia, and shares its assessments with business partners and advertisers.

• Discussion Boards

glbtq.com features discussion boards designed to support communities interested in specific topics. Messages posted on the discussion boards are visible to both glbtq members and to visitors at-large. Only members may post messages, but those who post messages should bear in mind that any information posted in a discussion board message is visible to the general public. Please refer to this site's Terms of Service for additional terms related to use of discussion boards.

The discussion boards use cookies to maintain your discussion board session. glbtq does not use these cookies to track your individual behavior on the Web site. The discussion board records the ip address of the poster of each message. When necessary, glbtq uses the recorded ip address to identify site members who post inappropriate messages. This information is not shared with advertisers or business partners.

• Information Disclosure

If we believe that the site's facilities have been used illegally, to foster illegal activity, to damage the site, or to subvert the site's security features, we reserve the right but do not have the obligation to contact and cooperate with law enforcement authorities and to disclose to them any information we collect that is relevant to such activity.

We reserve the right, but do not have the obligation, to disclose any information we collect if, in our sole discretion, we believe that such disclosure will protect the rights or property of the site, glbtq, Inc. (the company that owns the site), the health or safety of the public or site members, or if such information is requested from us in connection with a court order or legal proceeding.

glbtq reserves the right to transfer information as part of a corporate reorganization, consolidation, merger, or the sale or transfer of substantially all of its assets.

glbtq will also disclose personal information when required by law or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with other purposes that glbtq believes to serve a legitimate purpose.

• Contact Information

glbtq's About section includes a contact information page that allows you to contact glbtq. Though we cannot respond to every message we receive, if we do so, we may respond using the e-mail address or the mailing address you supply in your correspondence with us.

• Children Under the Age of 13

We make a good faith effort to prevent children under the age of 13 from becoming site members. The site does not knowingly collect or store information from children under the age of 13. Information that is inadvertently collected from children will be deleted as soon as it is recognized as such.

Your Password and Account Information

You are solely responsible for maintaining the secrecy of your password and/or account related information.

DISCLAIMERS

WHILE GLBTQ HAS SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE TO PREVENT UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS OR INTERCEPTION, THERE IS NO ABSOLUTE GUARANTEE OF SECURITY. IN THE EVENT OF AN INTERCEPTION OR UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, GLBTQ SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCH INTERCEPTION OR UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, OR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS) SUFFERED BY A VISITOR OR MEMBER, EVEN IF GLBTQ HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. GLBTQ DOES NOT WARRANT, EITHER EXPRESSLY OR IMPLIEDLY, THAT THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY ANY VISITOR OR MEMBER SHALL BE FREE FROM INTERCEPTION OR UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, AND DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

IN TRANSMITTING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS TO GLBTQ, THE VISITOR OR MEMBER OF THIS WEB SITE IS REQUESTING THAT GLBTQ SEND INFORMATION TO OR CONTACT THE VISITOR OR MEMBER REGARDING OUR PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES. GLBTQ WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ACCOMMODATE REASONABLE REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION PERTAINING TO OUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IN A TIMELY MANNER BUT MAKES NO GUARANTEES FOR THE TIMELINESS OF SUCH RESPONSES. THE VISITOR OR MEMBER SHOULD BE AWARE THAT GLBTQ IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DELAY, NON-DELIVERY, OR NON-RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION EXCHANGED BETWEEN GLBTQ AND THE VISITOR OR MEMBER OR VICE-VERSA DUE TO INTERNET CONNECTIVITY PROBLEMS, MAN-MADE OR NATURAL DISASTERS, FORCE MAJEURE, COMPUTER MALFUNCTIONS, OR INCORRECT CONTACT INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY THE VISITOR OR MEMBER.

Privacy Practices of Other Web Sites

This Web site may contain links to other Web sites. When you use a link to go from this Web site to another Web site, the glbtq.com Terms of Service and this Privacy Policy are no longer in effect. Your browsing and interaction on any other Web site, including sites that have a link on or to glbtq.com, are subject to the privacy policy of that site. Be sure to read over that privacy policy before proceeding, as glbtq is not responsible for the privacy practices of such Web sites.

Notification of Changes

We reserve the right, at any time and without notice, to add to, change, update, or modify this Privacy Policy, simply by posting such change, update, or modification on our Web site. Any such change, update, or modification will be effective immediately upon posting on the Web site. If we make any changes in this Privacy Policy, we will post a message on the site's home page and on this page. If the change in policy affects the way we use existing member information, members will be provided with a mechanism to opt-out of the changes.

Your Information

If you give glbtq your contact information over this Web site, and you wish to amend that information or have your name removed from glbtq's database, please send e-mail to privacy@glbtq.com.

Privacy Concerns

If you believe that we have failed to comply with this policy in any way, or if you have any questions about privacy on this site, please contact us by e-mail at privacy@glbtq.com or by mail at the address listed below. In your letter, please describe in as much detail as possible the ways in which you believe that glbtq has not complied with this policy. We will investigate your concern promptly.

Our postal address is:

Privacy
glbtq, Inc.
1130 West Adams
Chicago, IL 60607

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