The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center is creating allies on campus by providing Safe Zone training about the LGBTQ community.
The informational training aims to debunk myths and educate participants about heterosexism. The goal is to create an environment on campus that is free of homophobia.
The psychology department’s diversity council recently held two Safe Zone training sessions with the hope of increasing an understanding of diversity in their offices, said Frances Friedrich, chair of the department.
“I wanted to attend this training firstly for my own personal benefit. We all have a lot to learn,” Friedrich said. “I was impressed with how the facilitators raised issues and handled the discussion. It got people thinking in ways that surprised them.”
Bonnie Owens and Jeremy Yamashiro moderated the discussion between participants on topics such as queer terminology, queer history and straight privilege. Owens and Yamashiro provided the educational background on the queer community and ways participants can become allies. They also encouraged participants to apply their own experiences and interpretations of the issues to gain a better understanding.
During the training, participants were asked to express their opinions through an exercise that only allowed them to stand or sit based on their agreement of disagreement with a statement. One question participants were asked was if they would be in a relationship with someone who was openly bisexual. After determining their stance, participants discussed why they felt the way they did and how stereotypes and misconceptions influenced whether they decided to stand or sit.
“(The Safe Zone training) has a lot of exercises that challenge heterosexism and people’s assumptions of the LGBTQ people in general,” said Matthew Siemionko, a second-year graduate student in psychology. “I was impressed with the amount of knowledge people from the department brought into the training.”
Siemionko is openly gay and believes that even before taking Safe Zone training, the department has been an accepting place. He feels, however, that having more members of the faculty and graduate students displaying Safe Zone signs will benefit the attitudes of undergraduate students, he said.
Safe Zone training is one of the most important programs the LGBT Resource Center has, Yamashiro said, adding that it is an attempt to change the campus environment.
“There are more straight students and faculty on campus than those who are queer,” Yamashiro said. “And we need those allies’ help to carry the flag.”
Yamashiro said the training is intended to increase the number of allies the queer community has on campus. According to the Safe Zone training, an ally is a person who has information, sensitivity and an understanding of LGBTQ issues.
“I wanted to be able to put up the Safe Zone sign so students can talk to me and not worry about being themselves,” said Camila Rodrigues, a graduate student in psychology. “The more signs there are in the psychology department, the more people will know it’s not OK to be biased or judgemental.”