Safe Zone Training
By
Published 1-25-2008
The University of Wyoming’s Safe Zone program will hold a training session from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 29 in the Wyoming Union Room 203. The session will focus on major issues facing the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans-gender (GLBT) communities at UW through interaction and exploration of personal beliefs.
Graduates of Safe Zone training sessions, or “Advocates”, receive signs with which to display their willingness to provide assistance to under-represented portions of the population. These signs are emblazoned with a pink triangle, representing a positive gay self-image and are surrounded by a green circle, which represents peace. The signs are meant to discreetly, yet prominently, convey an openness to the problems and issues facing the GLBT community and ideally, to serve as a catalyst to open discussion.
According to Safe Zone Coordinator, Cory L. Headley, the program has flourished at UW since its inception in 1996. There are four separate training sessions during this semester alone.
“We’re now up to about one per month.” Headley said. The program has also been subjected to a recent restructuring in order to better serve the GLBT community.
“We are trying to identify separate areas which need attention,” Headley said. In addition to the renovation, Safe Zone has also used its positive message and simple idea to spawn similar programs at other colleges.
Brittany Standage, a junior majoring in theatre, recently sat in on a Safe Zone feedback panel with the Residence Assistants of various residence halls. Standage feels that the Safe Zone program is popular amongst the university community, and helpful in making UW feel more inclusive. The RAs liked that “…it gave [students] the opportunity… to talk if they had a problem or were being discriminated against,” Standage said.
A majority of the feedback that Standage and others on the panel received from the RAs was very positive. Based on this, Standage has a positive view of what the Safe Zone program has become.
“There is discrimination on campus, of course. But there aren’t group prejudices, people kind of tread lightly,” she said.
Safe Zone aids in dealing with these prejudices through education and open-mindedness. According to Standage, “[Although] those who join Safe Zone probably are the one’s who wouldn’t discriminate,” the program does help to ease some students’ minds.
Safe Zone training sessions are free and open to the public. One does not need to be GLBT to attend. Anyone with questions regarding the program or training sessions should contact the Campus Activity Center at 766-6340, or visit the Safe Zone Web site at www.uwyo.edu/safezone.
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