Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Statement
At GB Publishing, LLC and Velvet Ink Atelier, we believe creativity is richer when more people are welcomed, represented, respected, and given space to be fully themselves.
Our work is created for a diverse world, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive creative environment that recognizes the value of different identities, experiences, perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds.
We welcome and respect people of every race, ethnicity, nationality, age, religion or belief, disability, body type, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, family structure, socioeconomic background, and life experience.
Our Commitment
We are committed to:
- Creating artwork, products, and creative materials that reflect a broad and diverse range of people and experiences.
- Representing individuals with dignity, respect, and care rather than relying on harmful stereotypes or exclusionary portrayals.
- Supporting LGBTQ+ people and communities and maintaining a welcoming environment for people of all gender identities and sexual orientations.
- Encouraging racial, cultural, generational, body, and ability diversity throughout our creative work whenever appropriate to the subject and collection.
- Improving accessibility so that more people can engage with our websites, products, and creative resources.
Treating customers, collaborators, licensing partners, vendors, and members of our creative community with fairness and respect. - Remaining open to thoughtful feedback when our work can be made more inclusive, accessible, or representative.
Representation in Our Creative Work
We believe representation matters.
When creating people, characters, illustrations, books, clip art, digital products, and other visual materials, we strive to include a meaningful range of ages, skin tones, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, body shapes and sizes, abilities, gender expressions, relationships, and family structures.
Not every individual collection will represent every community or experience. Our goal is not to reduce inclusion to a checklist, but to build a body of work that reflects the variety of people who exist in the real world.
We also recognize that representation requires care. We aim to avoid caricatures, tokenism, cultural appropriation, and portrayals that diminish the dignity of the people or communities being represented.
Equity and Access
Equity means recognizing that people do not always begin with the same circumstances, resources, opportunities, or access.
Within the scope of our business, we work to reduce unnecessary barriers and make our products, websites, communications, and creative resources as accessible and welcoming as reasonably possible.
We will continue learning and improving as our business grows, including reviewing our practices, products, and digital spaces for opportunities to make them more accessible and inclusive.
A Respectful Community
We believe creativity should bring people together rather than require people to hide who they are in order to participate.
Discrimination, harassment, demeaning behavior, or hostility toward individuals or groups based on their identity or protected characteristics is inconsistent with the values of GB Publishing, LLC and Velvet Ink Atelier.
We reserve the right to decline collaborations, partnerships, licensing arrangements, or other business relationships that conflict with our commitment to dignity, inclusion, equality, and mutual respect, subject to applicable law and contractual obligations
Our LGBTQ+ Commitment
GB Publishing, LLC and Velvet Ink Atelier proudly support the LGBTQ+ community.
As an LGBTQ+-owned business, this commitment is both personal and fundamental to who we are.
We believe LGBTQ+ people deserve the same dignity, safety, opportunity, representation, and respect as everyone else, and we will continue creating spaces and products in which LGBTQ+ people are welcomed and represented without apology.
An Ongoing Commitment
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are not one-time projects or marketing slogans. They are principles that require continued attention.
We understand that language, culture, technology, and social understanding continue to evolve. We may periodically update this statement and our practices as we learn, grow, and identify better ways to serve our creative community.
Our goal is simple:
Create beautiful things. Welcome people. Treat them with dignity. Leave the creative world a little more inclusive than we found it.
—
GB Publishing, LLC
Velvet Ink Atelier
Last Updated: September 2026