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Show .THE DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE Monday, March 23, 2009 Safe zone trainings to break stereotypes iscrimination pervades many facets of the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning individuals on campus, making it difficult for many of them to feel safe and work effectively. Many students, staff and faculty who identify as LGBTQ_feei oppressed by their surroundings. Places or zones in which LGBTQ_people can feel safe are important tools for ending discrimination. Students, staff and faculty should be encouraged to interact with the various resources and departments on campus without feeling discriminated against. The first goal of the Safe Zone Training is to create as many of these safe zones on campus as possible and ideally to make the entire campus a safe place. Safe Zones on campus can be identified by a pink sign with an upside-down triangle inside a circle, above the words "SAFE ZONE." Participants in the Safe Zone program hang these signs for students, staff and faculty, designating that area as a safe zone for the LGBTQ_ community. In some cases, entire departments are Safe Zone trained, requiring all new staff and faculty to go through the training. Beyond simply hanging these signs, participants go through three hours of training aimed to raise awareness of LGBTQ_issues and maintain visibility of the LGBTQ_community. More importantly, Safe Zone training is an excellent way to create alliances on campus and foster ally building. One way this is achieved is through the information the training provides. The trainersfirstrun through a list of terms that often go undefined and then give an overview of the history of the LGBTQmovement. Far from trying to change people's beliefs, the Safe Zone program simply provides an opportunity for people to educate them- D $200 MiLLioM FCULCD "iciLe.Hi- = CapiiC(Li3IVl? CAMERON HODGKIN selves on LGBTQJssues as well as answer many questions people might have. One part of the training allows people to write down stereotypes about LGBTQ_individuals and then to be asked, as a group, where those stereotypes come from and if, to any extent, any of them are true. Many misconceptions of the LGBTQ.community are addressed and people are encouraged to challenge the stereotypes they hold. However, people are not asked to compromise any beliefs they have. All respectful opinions, thoughts and questions are welcomed without judgment or contention. This section of the training is particularly effective, considering that many oppressive beliefs come simply from misunderstanding. The last, and possibly most important, section of the training is the ally-building section. This part of the training suggests effective ways to be an ally as well as strategies for fighting against discrimination. Students, staff, faculty and university departments are encouraged to be Safe Zone trained. By providing the tools necessary to be an ally, the Safe Zone trainings create an environment of inclusion as well as a safe place for LGBTQ_people on campus. letters@chronicle.utah.edu Editor's Note—Cameron Hodgkin is Safe Zone Coordinator for the U's LGBT Resource Center. PHIL CANNON/Thefail/UrahChronicle ONLINE POLL A On "Students should ignore pundits" (Jonathan Deesing, March 12, 2009) Opinion N T '::$$4-%On "U should.consider going smoke ••;|^|lfree" : t-'?^ . " ;• #g;ft; (Sabriel Harris, March 12,2009) Opinion! Most companies are using the money ethically 9- mi '(11 - J I I I fit< i 11 v • Some companies are using, the money ethically Most companies are using the money unethically Delphi ^: : posted 3/12/09 @ 11:57 p.m. MST Your name -;^! posted 3/13/09 10:20 a.m. This should extend beyond politics. I can't begin to tell you how many.of my friends have fallen prey to the false claims made in such movies and books as "The Secret" and "Waking Life." They prey on ignorant people and make them even more useless than before. dictate morality to me. If someone wants to jgpiQke, J0.ne; fiat's their right. Just asjj^s my right to walk away from them to get fresh air. Why does legislation need to be introduced into every aspect of life, when common sense will work just fine? (Granted, that depends on people actually USING common sense...) Patty posted 3/13/09 @ 11:14 a.m. MST It's not only college students who take everything they hear through the media to heart. This article is intelligent, thoughtful, and well written. It's refreshing to know that some of the younger generation can see through all of this. r - .•,• v Carol Yocom posted 3/13/09 @ 2:13 p.m. MST Huffington Post represents the opinions of dozens of columnists who often disagree with each other. You can post comments disagreeing with any columnist or their opinion as long as it's done in a respectful manner. Bill O'Reilly is one person speaking nightly to millions of people without equivalent broadcast rebuttal. I think you've got oranges and apples here. i '•••:' I think the U should also ban tank tops, shorts, and sandals because they lead to [••] and are indicative of immoral behavior. Utah has upped the ante in many ways, and at least one of our peer schools in the state has already taken such action. Immoral behavior leads to the spread of dangerous diseases, which currently affect_ two out of every five Ute undergrads. If we start now, we can save the younger generations, and it is inevitable that this would produce positive results. With all the other influences in a young person's iife, enticing the opposite sex should not be an option. This is stupid. Who wTote this? Please post their picture, so we can Photoshop it (in)appropriately. I don't smoke, so I don't have any vested interest, but this must be one of the worst opinions in recent memory. Jeff •• T;r-< posted 3/14/09 @ 1:22 a.m. MST i\ Qetcaughtinourwebo chronide.com Rush Limbaugh wasn't the first person to call Obama the magic negro. Also, I want Obama to fail because I don't want socialism to succeed. I would rather suffer through a depression than live enslaved to my government. I have a friend who grew up in east germany when Hitler rose to power, and my friend has told me that Hitler sounded just like Obama when he got started. Of course I want the country to succeed, but in order for that to happen, Obama, Pelosi, and Reid need to fail so that our country won't fall into their socialist clutches. I despise the way people throw around the words "bigotry" and "ignoranee. Rob posted 3/13/09 6:38 p.m. MST •-•-if m. On 'Tuition tax credit bill passes with amendments" (Trent Lowe, March 13, 2009) News ^ Just give me your honest opinion. ^ Dorothy posted 3/13/09 @ 9:05 a.m. MST As a non-traditional student who files their taxes jointly, House BUI35 if signed by Gov. Huntsman Jr. will be useless. Being required to contribute to a UESP so that you can benefit from a 5% tax credit is nonsense, what little tax return my husband and I receive back should be up to us to decide where the money goes and not dicitated by the State. letteriS@chronic-leyutQnfedu - " • = ! "posted 3/13/09 @ 12:28 p.m. MST FYI: Bush opponent and Clinton adviser James Carville said right before 9-11 that he did not want Bush to succeed. It goes both ways. < j Joe Bob Billy Bob posted 3/13/09 @ 1:09 p.m. MST \ ' .-•• V-, v ^ - , • * • . - >• To say that smoking is a victiinless crime is "i don't know," stupid. We all have to pay for the rising costs of health care because someone else chooses to smoke. We all have to walk through the cloud of poison that you blow out on every puff as we walk past, and if the wind is just right we can "enjoy it" for half a block or more. I have a few suggestions. Invent a smoke free cigarette so I don't have to share with you. Or better yet, tie a plastic bag around your head so you can enjoy every last bit of the smoke. This will have the added benefit of preparing you for the way it will feel trying to breathe later in life while just sitting in front of your TV due to your reduced lung function. Also, when you get sick, please don't go to the hospital and expect insurance, the government or anyone else to pay for the care that may add a couple more years to your life. I don't want to help you pay for it. Please, just stay home alone and keep on puffing your way to an early grave. These are some effective ways to keep smoking as victimless a crime as possible. -1 |