Butterfly Businesses Scheme

 What is it?

The Sudbury Trans and Non-binary Group have created a scheme that would allow local businesses to subtly advertise their commitment to welcoming LGBTQIA+ customers and treating all members of the community with dignity and respect in a simple way: our pride “Butterfly Business” window sticker. 

To the casual observer the butterfly is a small, beautiful and colourful creature fluttering on the window, however LGBTQIA+ customers will notice the colours and know they represent inclusion and welcome.

How to take part 

The scheme is FREE to join and SIMPLE to implement. Participating businesses are asked to commit to a short set of inclusion principles listed below and, in return, would receive a window sticker to display, helping LGBTQIA+ people and their families identify venues where they can feel welcome, respected and valued. Click here to complete the sign up form!

For you, we would be available as a point of contact to provide personal lived insight and further connections to help build your own confidence in your understanding should you wish. 

Businesses taking part would also be listed on the group’s website and promoted through local LGBTQIA+ networks, should you wish, helping residents and visitors alike to identify inclusive spaces within the community.

Why is this scheme needed?

For many LGBTQIA+ people, and particularly transgender and non-binary people, walking around town or visiting a new business can involve uncertainty and even fear due to a rise in political hostility or past experiences. Questions that many others never need to consider, such as “Will I be treated respectfully?”, “Will I be confronted for trying to use the loo?” Will I feel comfortable with my partner here?” can influence everyday decisions about where to shop, eat, socialise, or access services.

Of course most local businesses would like to be welcoming and inclusive, but might not fully understand the barriers involved for LGBTQIA+ people and don’t know how best to make their support visible.

Our Butterfly solves these problems and makes it easy for LGBTQIA+ customers to feel confident in advance, making a meaningful difference and helping people walk through the door!

We would love for Sudbury to be known as a town where everyone can feel welcome and respected in the local establishments, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, and we hope that this scheme will provide a simple and positive way for businesses to demonstrate their commitment to making- and keeping- it this way!

The Pride Butterfly Business Commitments:

By displaying the Pride Butterfly, businesses will provide a safe and welcoming environment for LGBTQIA+ people. They do so by committing to the following: 

 – We will welcome LGBTQIA+ customers, staff and visitors and will treat everyone with dignity and respect.

 – We recognise and do not tolerate harassment, abuse or discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

 – We will not challenge customers over their gender identity or presentation and will treat trans and non-binary people with dignity and respect.

 – Where concerns arise, we will make every effort to ensure LGBTQIA+ people can access our services safely and without discrimination.

If you and your business would like to display the Pride Butterfly, complete this form and we will arrange to send a free sticker for you to display in your window or doorway!

With love and thanks,

Jade
She/They

Sudbury Trans and Non-Binary Group Founder

To see a our list of registered Butterfly Businesses click here

FURTHER NOTES:

The scheme is not about politics. It is about helping people feel welcome in our community where they can’t otherwise automatically assume. It is a visible commitment to inclusion and understanding which is something that sadly, is becoming harder and harder to assume of businesses!

A more welcoming town benefits everyone. When people know they will be treated fairly and respectfully, they are more likely to participate fully in community life, support local businesses, and feel a sense of belonging in the place they call home.

LGBTQIA+ people commonly express sentiments such as:

“I am afraid to walk around town, afraid of being noticed and afraid to speak to staff members in shops in case something gives away the fact that I am trans and people will laugh or abuse me.” 

“I am afraid of showing my partner even the tiniest bit of affection in public in case someone notices and we are attacked.” 

“I can’t go out of the house for long as I never know where I will be safe to use the loo”

For businesses with toilets for public use:

Access to public toilets is a basic need, yet many transgender and non-binary people experience anxiety when using public facilities due to concerns about being challenged, questioned, humiliated or treated differently. Recent legal and regulatory developments have created this uncertainty for both businesses and customers about how toilet and changing room facilities should be managed and many LGBTQIA+ people are now even more unsure where they will be welcomed, especially as there has also been a rise in challenges by emboldened members of the public as a result.

This scheme aims to provide reassurance by identifying businesses that are committed to treating all customers fairly, regardless of their gender identity or expression. Participating businesses agree to foster an environment where everyone can access services and facilities without fear of discrimination, hostility, or embarrassment.

By displaying the scheme’s sticker, businesses send a simple message: everyone is welcome, everyone will be treated respectfully, and everyone deserves to feel safe when accessing public spaces

Donations

Butterfly Businesses is completely free to join. However, if you’d like to help us cover the cost of producing and posting your sticker pack, as well as the day-to-day running costs of the scheme, you’re welcome to make a voluntary contribution via our tip jar.

A contribution of around £3 covers the cost of sending out a single sticker pack.

Please note that Butterfly Businesses is not a charity and nobody involved receives any payment. Any contributions are used solely to help cover the costs of running the scheme and providing stickers to participating businesses.

To donate please use this PayPal link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/sudburytransnbgroup

Frequently Asked Questions

What does LGBTQIA+ stand for? 

LGBTQIA+ is an umbrella acronym used to refer to a range of sexual orientations, gender identities, and related communities.

At its core, LGBTQIA+ is a way of recognising and referring collectively to people whose sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics differ from what is currently treated as the societal norm. Sometimes coming across the terminology that helps explain your identity is really important in helping people understand that they’re not alone in how they feel and helps them to connect with others who feel similar.

L – Lesbian: a person who identifies as a woman who is attracted to women.

G – Gay: someone attracted to people of the same gender (often used for men, but can be broader).

B – Bisexual: attracted to more than one gender.

T – Transgender: a person whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

Q – Queer or Questioning:

Queer is a broad term some people use for themselves if they don’t fit traditional categories of sexuality or gender.

Questioning refers to people exploring or unsure of their sexuality or gender identity.

I – Intersex: people born with sex characteristics (such as chromosomes, hormones, or anatomy) that don’t fit typical definitions of male or female bodies.

A – Asexual, Aromantic, and/or Agender.

Asexual: experiences little or no sexual attraction.

Aromantic: experiences little or no romantic attraction.

Agender: identifies as having no gender or a neutral gender identity.

+ – Represents the many other identities and experiences that are not specifically listed, such as pansexual, non-binary, genderfluid and others.

Why is someone’s LGBTQIA+ identity important?

For many people, being LGBTQIA+ is simply one part of who they are, just as someone’s ethnicity, disability, family life, or cultural background may be part of their identity. It can influence their experiences, relationships, sense of self, and how they are treated by others.

While it may not be the most important thing about a person, it can be a hugely important part of their life and deserves the same respect as any other aspect of identity.

Why does it matter?

It matters because LGBTQIA+ people have historically faced discrimination, exclusion, and unequal treatment, and still do today. Feeling able to be open about who you are without fear of mistreatment can have a significant impact on wellbeing, confidence, and participation in community life. 

Although LGBTQIA+ people have always existed, when your sexual and romantic orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics differ from what has historically been treated as the societal norm, navigating a world built for those who do fit the current societal norm can be incredibly challenging.

The aim of inclusion initiatives such as the Pride Butterfly scheme isn’t to give special treatment to anyone, but to help ensure that everyone knows they will be treated fairly and with dignity.

I don’t care who someone sleeps with. Isn’t that how it should be?

For LGBTQIA+ people, that is exactly the goal: to be treated no differently from anyone else.

However, sexual orientation and gender identity are about more than sex. They are also about relationships, family, identity, and everyday life. People routinely talk about their husbands, wives, partners, children, and personal experiences. LGBTQIA+ people generally want the same freedom to do so without being judged differently. Often the fear of being judged differently will prevent someone from opening up to you, even if you’re quietly supportive, because how do they know?

Why do people “broadcast” that they are LGBTQIA+?

Most LGBTQIA+ people are not trying to draw attention to themselves- it’s usually the opposite! Often, what is described as “broadcasting” is simply being open about their lives in the same way that non-LGBTQIA+ people are.

For example, mentioning a same-sex spouse, displaying a wedding photo, talking about a partner, or using a pride flag can be a way of expressing identity, showing community, or signalling that others are welcome and safe.

Many people also choose to be visible because they remember a time when LGBTQIA+ identities were hidden or stigmatised and fear that we are heading back to that place which is not unfounded. Visibility can help others feel less alone and can demonstrate that everyone belongs in the community.

Many people who ask “why do they broadcast it?” simply don’t realise how often straight and cisgender people “broadcast” their identities without noticing it. Think about wedding rings, family photos, talking about husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, pregnancy announcements, the gendered nature of the clothes we wear amongst many other things. These all signal who we are to other people. 

Why have a sticker scheme at all?

The sticker does not mean that a business is “for” LGBTQIA+ people instead of anyone else. It simply indicates that the business is committed to treating all customers with dignity and respect, including LGBTQIA+ people.

For some customers, that visible reassurance can make a meaningful difference when deciding where they feel comfortable shopping, eating, or accessing services.

What do “straight” and “cisgender” mean?

Straight (or heterosexual) refers to a person who is attracted to people of a different gender than their own.

Cisgender (or cis) refers to a person whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth. For example, someone who was assigned female at birth and identifies as a woman, or someone who was assigned male at birth and identifies as a man.

The prefixes cis and trans come from Latin. Cis means “on the same side of” and trans means “across” or “on the other side of.” These prefixes have been used in science, geography, and other fields for centuries. In the context of gender, cisgender describes someone whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth, while transgender describes someone whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

These are neutral descriptive terms, used in the same way that words such as “left-handed”, “married”, or “retired” describe particular characteristics or experiences.

What are pronouns and why are they important?

We automatically use pronouns when talking about all people. Words such as he, she, they, I, we and you are used to replace names when we talk about people, so we often use them without thinking. The LGBTQIA+ community do not use pronouns any differently, but trans and non-binary people may use pronouns that you may not automatically correctly assume. Using the correct pronouns for a trans or non-binary person is basic respect for the person they are, just like it is for anybody else! It is important to remember that as humans we all make honest mistakes, but if you do, most people seem to prefer if you just quickly apologise and move on, rather than drawing lots of attention to it.

 Why a butterfly? 

A butterfly works well as the logo for our sticker scheme because it carries meanings that resonate with many LGBTQIA+ people, especially trans people, without being explicitly political or even obviously LGBTQIA+ to most members of the public.

Some of the associations are:

-Transformation and growth

The journey from caterpillar to butterfly can be thought of as a metaphor for self discovery, transition, and becoming your authentic self. Many trans people identify with this symbolism, though butterflies are not exclusively a trans symbol.

-Freedom and authenticity

Butterflies are often associated with being free to be yourself, an important theme for the LGBTQIA+ community.

-Hope and resilience

A butterfly emerges from its chrysalis after a period of struggle and change. Many LGBTQIA+ people relate to the idea of coming through difficult experiences and thriving.

-Gentleness and welcome

Our butterfly is beautiful, feels warm, friendly, and non-threatening. Most people simply see it as a positive image! It says:

“This is a welcoming place.”