Asalaamu Alaykum,

First of all, I'm curious as to what the rulings are regarding the separation of sexes in a gathering where a Muslim is speaking to a group of non-Muslims. This particular scenario would be a Muslim speaker inviting non-Muslims to hear about Islam. Such an event may be held at the masjid, but more likely it would be in a lecture hall or similar venue.

If it's not held at a masjid, I would think the rules of segregation still apply, but perhaps someone more learned can enlighten me.

And if the men and women are to be separated, is it necessary to have any kind of "disclaimer" at the start of the speech to address this issue, or are people generally OK with it?

Thanks.