During Fall Quarter, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center at Ohio University enrolled 159 people into the ally program SafeZone - almost the same number that were enrolled in the entire 2007-2008 school year.
SafeZone, a two-hour training program that began at OU in 2000, was created to help students and faculty become informed on LGBT issues like tolerance, language and the coming-out process, said Mickey Hart, director of the LGBT Center.
Out of the 159 people who attended SafeZone training last fall, 103 resident assistants and security aides attended an additional voluntary workshop. During the 2007-2008 school year, 160 people attended SafeZone.
Along with good intentions
people have some good information on issues that they may be going through as they come out what it might be like to be an LGBT person terminology
language and the assumptions made through language
Hart said.
Melissa Huist, the LGBT Center's graduate assistant and coordinator of the SafeZone Program, said that the popularity of SafeZone is increasing because it becomes more visible as more people complete training.
OU is a very open campus
Huist said. Especially with the new Baker Center and students having more access to the (LGBT) Center
it's causing a greater awareness.
A primary goal of SafeZone is for students and faculty to advertise an alliance with the LGBT community and to let others know that there are LGBT people on campus, as well as non-LGBT people who support LGBT people, Hart said.
Micah Mitchell, residential coordinator of the Convocation Center and SafeZone facilitator for three years, said that seeing SafeZone stickers around campus and other types of LGBT-friendly gear influenced him to go through the SafeZone training.
I think SafeZone is beginning to have a snowball effect. A person completes it and by default they are a fixed promotion for it. Now with the buttons members can wear
it's a moving SafeZone - a safe person
Mitchell said.
An estimated 1,000 people have undergone SafeZone training since 2000 and, recently, the SafeZone program was expanded to include OU's Lancaster, Eastern and Southern campuses, Hart said.
Even though it's a program that we've had for eight years
people are asking about it
he said. It's good to know there is still interest in one of our long-term
