Welcome In My BackYard (WIMBY)

The Pledge

I, who have signed below, affirm that I welcome people from all walks of life in my neighborhood and community, and value human diversity in all its forms. I cherish my right to live according to my own values and beliefs and respect the rights of others to do the same.

I am personally opposed to and will try to find ways to speak out against:

• Housing discrimination and other forms of discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including sexual harassment), disability, familial status, marital status, age, source of income, student status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression;
• Verbal and physical harassment and abuse of all kinds, especially against children;
• Racist, anti-Semitic, and anti-Islamic acts;
• The “not in my backyard” attitude toward group homes, foster-care homes, shelters, and public, cooperative, and subsidized housing;
• Ethnic intimidation;
• Anti-immigration and anti-immigrant actions and prejudice;
• Anti-gay, lesbian, and bisexual harassment and violence;
• Anti-transgender and gender expression harassment and violence.

I recognize that I may also hold such prejudices and stereotypes of various kinds developed during my life. I will try to better understand and reverse such attitudes in order to ensure that I do not act upon them.

I also intend to exercise my rights of free speech and political expression by displaying the WIMBY sign in order to increase consciousness in my neighborhood and community about the principles of this pledge.