Transcript Safe Space Training


Take your Star and write the
following on each leg of the star:
› 1st Leg: A Close Friend
› 2nd Leg: Community you belong to
(religious, Greek, etc)
› 3rd Leg: Mentoring Family Member
› 4th Leg: Future Job
› 5th Leg: Hopes or Dream for Future
(i.e. wealth, children, etc)
Invisibility of LGBT students; facing potential of a
hostile campus climate
 No easy method of identifying safe, supportive
persons on LGBT issues and concerns
 Potential isolation and loneliness of LGBT
students; inability to identify sources of support

In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association
removed “homosexuality” from the list of
mental illnesses.



Want you to be able to direct LGBTQ
students to resources
Want you to recognize that LGBTQ
students are people who are in a
different place than you might be and
to provide you with some information
Want to encourage you to be an ally
for people – no matter your personal
beliefs
Evaluating Yourself:
As an ally, it is important for you to understand your
own feelings about LGBT people that resulted
from growing up and living in a heterosexist and
homophobic society. Ask yourself the following:
1) When did you first become aware of sexual
orientations other than heterosexual?
2) When did you first realize that not everyone fits
neatly into gender categories?
3) What early/recent messages have you received
about homosexuality, bisexuality, or people who do
not fit traditional gender roles?
4) Do you stop yourself from doing or saying certain
things because someone might think you are gay or
lesbian?
Tolerance – “I’ll allow you.”
versus
Nurturance / Acceptance – “I’ll support you.”
“It is not enough to be compassionate.
You must act.” Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai
Lama
People will think I am L/G/B/T
 I might be harassed
 I will feel overwhelmed
 I won’t know what to say or how to
say it
 Who will I turn to if this happens?

Group Agreement

Respect and openness

Confidentiality and openness

Right to pass

Nonjudgmental approach

Taking care to claim our opinions

Sensitivity to diversity

Acceptance

Have a good time
Pink
Triangle
Rainbow Flag
Freedom Rings
Lambda
Symbol
Confusion
Comparison
Acceptance
Pride
Adapted from: Cass, T. Homosexual Identity Development, 1979.
Adapted by Susan Young, SIUC, 1995
Tolerance
Synthesis
Adapted from: Jim, Huggins, Ph.D.

See Handout

Questions?
Heterosexism results from the underlying cultural and social assumption
that everyone is heterosexual and if not, they should be.
Although it is a passive form of prejudice, heterosexism is a potent,
oppressive force that disavows LGBT identities and undermines the
development of healthy, positive LGBT identities and relationships.
Institutionalized heterosexism impacts LGBT people in -very real,
tangible ways.
Examples of Heterosexism:

The assumption that everyone you meet is heterosexual

The assumption that everyone has or is interested in having a
opposite-sex partner

The assumption that all mothers and fathers are heterosexual

The assumption all sexually active women use birth control

The assumption that all unmarried people are “single”, while in reality
they may have a same-sex partner

The assumption that all children live in families with male-female
couple in parental roles

The use of language that presumes heterosexuality in others, such as
“husband” or “wife” instead of gender neutral language such as
“partner”

The use of official forms which only allow for designation as married or
single
Becoming an Ally
Our society is heterosexist, so most people grow up with
unexamined heterosexist assumptions and attitudes. It takes
time to overcome those assumptions, attitudes and the
behavior to which they give rise. We call that process
"becoming an ally" of non-heterosexual people. The stages
that an ally goes through are below:
1. Naïve
2. Acceptance of Dominant Group
3. Resistance
4. Redefinition
5. Internalization

You are an advocate, educator,
resource guide & mentor
› Respect privacy and confidentiality
› Be a positive listener, avoid trying to sway
the person to another viewpoint
› Use language sensitive to person’s identity
development
› Remember professional and personal
boundaries


Provide reference materials and other
resources about sexual identity
Be aware of other support services in the
area and provide referrals when necessary
› ISU Office of Diversity, Residential Life Staff
Members, Social Justice Committee Members,
Advocates for Equality, LGBTQS Alliance, ISU
Counseling Center, Safe Zone Members

Assist individuals in finding legal and
official assistance in harassment situations
› Public Safety, ISU Office of Diversity
Web Resources:
 http://www.indstate.edu/diversity/Safe_zone.htm
 http://www.clubs.psu.edu/aa/gsa/terms.html
 http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/glbss/education.html
 http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/PUBLICATIONS/factsheet/f
sglbt.htm
 http://www.sprc.org/library/SPRC_LGBT_Youth.pdf