Safe Space Allies
Upcoming Training Dates
Wednesday, February 17th; 3-5:30 PM
Tuesday, March 16th; 12:30-3 PM
Thursday, April 22nd; 5-7:30 PM
The Safe Space Allies Network enhances the ability of students, staff, administrators and faculty to demonstrate proactively and personally the University’s core values of community, inclusion, and respect for all - regardless of sexual orientation or other identity. Grounded in Catholic Social Thought, the University’s mission affirms that all human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society.
By displaying a SAFE SPACE emblem in their working and/or living areas, members of the university community provide visible markers of validation, support, and respect for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community as well as other potentially marginalized populations. The sign serves as an indicator of people with whom LGBT and questioning people can speak openly and seek the support they need to succeed at the University of San Diego.
Safe Space Allies- Table of Contents
I. Why We're Here
a. Goals
b. Intended Outcomes
II. Posting the Sign Means
a. Posting the sign doesn't mean
b. For those who choose not to post the sign
III. Trainings
IV. Sign Up for Training
V. Campus and Community Resources
a. On Campus
b. LGBT Resources in San Diego
VI. Network News
a. Terms
b. FAQs
VII. Catholic Viewpoints on Homosexuality
Why We’re Here
In the past two academic years (September ‘07 – May ‘09), 62% of bias motivated incidents and hate crimes at USD have been homophobic in nature. While USD is moving in a positive direction to foster greater diversity and inclusion as evidenced by the creation of the President’s Advisory Board on Inclusion & Diversity, On Our Campus @ USD initiative, and increased reporting of hate/bias incidents and crimes, the Safe Space Allies Network reiterates the University’s dedication to becoming a more welcoming, safe, and inclusive community.
Some community members may be familiar with the pink OPEN ZONE triangles currently posted across campus. The pink triangles originated from the Rainbow Visibility Grant in 1999. The Safe Space Allies Network is designed to build upon the symbol of the pink triangle; holding allies accountable with training and a network of resources and support. Those currently posting pink OPEN ZONE triangles will be invited to remove the sign, receive training and replace it with a Safe Space Ally placard.
Goals
The Safe Space Allies Network aims to
- Provide LGBT and questioning individuals an opportunity to seek confidential support, hold discussions, explore self-identity, find mentors and build supportive networks on campus.
- Engender respect for LGBT community members without compromising deeply held beliefs or the mission of the University as a Roman Catholic institution.
- Express USD’s commitment to inclusion and in supporting the life and dignity of the human person, specifically LGBT and questioning people.
- Address current campus climate as it relates to the LGBT community, bringing awareness that homophobia and heterosexism exist at USD.
- Provide community members with an opportunity to take an active role in addressing homophobia and heterosexism at USD.
- Ensure that “allies” (prior to receiving placard) complete standardized training on how to be an ally, understand LGBT issues and are committed to speaking out against bias and prejudice.
- Establish a network which will engage in educational workshops, social events, brown bag discussions, and train the trainer workshops.
Intended Outcomes
LGBT community members will
- Easily identify allies on campus.
- Experience support and validation for themselves and members of the LGBT, questioning and ally community.
- Experience a greater sense of safety and security knowing that allies are visibly identified and available for support.
Allies will
- Be informed and educated on how to be an ally for LGBT & questioning people.
- Be easily identified and provide safe spaces.
- Provide supportive space and a sense of security to LGBT and questioning people and refer out to other appropriate services.
- Be members of an “Allies Network”.
Campus Community Members will
- Be aware that issues of homophobia, stigma, and heterosexism exist at USD.
- Be aware of visibly identifiable allies and places that are safe.
- Be able to direct people to allies.
Posting the Sign Means
Presence of SAFE SPACE signage and allies’ ability to articulate its meaning validates the reality of LGBT people experiencing bias within the USD community. Those who select to receive SAFE SPACE ALLIES training and post the sign are publicly communicating that they
- believe USD is enriched and enlivened by the diversity of LGBT people;
- are willing to discuss issues related to sexual orientation confidentially and in a non-judgmental manner;
- are willing to assist University community members in accessing support, information and resources on campus and in the San Diego community;
- comfortably use inclusive language, avoid stereotypes, and do not assume heterosexuality (adapted from Cal Poly Pomona Safe Zone Program) ;
- have an ongoing responsibility to take an active and identifiable role in their support for LGBT community members;
- designate themselves and their particular office/residential room as “safe;”
- work to foster an atmosphere where homophobia and heterosexism are not tolerated; and
- educate others in the hall/department/center in which they reside as to what is unacceptable behavior.
Posting the Sign Doesn’t Mean…
- you are gay (although you might be)
- you know everything about gay culture and history
- you approve of anything and everything LGBT people do and/or have done
- you endorse anything and/or everything the LGBT community does or has done
- you support gay people to the exclusion of others on campus who experience alienation, exclusion and/or invisibility
- you either support or reject the Roman Catholic Church’s teachings about sexual morality.
Those Who Choose Not to Post the Sign…
Many allies exist within our community and may choose not to participate in the training. In no way does this indicate an ally’s lack of support for the LGBT community or her/his commitment to creating a more just and inclusive campus community.
Trainings
Community members interested in joining the Safe Space Allies Network are required to participate in a two and a half hour training. Training sessions are offered throughout the academic year.
Upcoming Sessions
Thursday, October 29; 4:30-7 PM
Thursday, November 5; 12:30-3PM
Friday, December 11; 3-5:30 PM
Sign up for a Training
Information provided will remain confidential and is collected for the sole purpose of scheduling trainings. Email elovettecolyer@sandiego.edu with the following information.
Name
ID#
Are you a student, staff, faculty, or administrator?
What year are you or which department are you from?
What training date are you interested in attending?
In a few sentences share why you are interested in becoming a Safe Space Ally.
Campus and Community Resources
ON-CAMPUS
PRIDE
http://www.sandiego.edu/pride/
PRIDE is an alliance at the University of San Diego for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered queer and questioning students and their supporters.
PRIDE Law
http://www.sandiego.edu/law/current/student_organizations/pl.php
Pride Law provides a forum for bisexual, gay and lesbian law students and their friends for informal gatherings and social events as well as educational and networking activities. Pride Law helps connect gay and lesbian law students with the San Diego community and serves as a resource for understanding and dialog within the university community.
Rainbow Educators
The Rainbow Educators are a group of students, staff, alumni/ae, and faculty who create and present workshops at the University of San Diego on sexual orientation and other diversity issues. The program address residence halls, athletic teams, staff and faculty groups, Greek organizations, and student clubs. The workshops are interactive, dynamic, and fun; they include films, role plays, visualizations, Q&A, and personal stories.
United Front Multicultural Center
http://www.sandiego.edu/unitedfront
Student Life Pavilion 418
(619) 260-2395
The United Front Multicultural Center (UFMC) engages the University of San Diego Community in exploring and affirming the unique identity of each person. The center fosters an environment where student leaders feel empowered to become change agents for social justice and builds relationships with faculty, staff and students to develop a foundation that honors and values diversity. The center serves as an educational resource, working to contest the dominance of prejudice and intolerance. The United Front Multicultural Center works to enact the values of the University of San Diego as "a welcoming, inclusive and collaborative community ...marked by protection of the rights and dignity of the individual."
Counseling Center
http://www.sandiego.edu/usdcc/
Serra Hall 300
(619) 260-4655
Consistent with the University of San Diego's philosophy of developing the whole person, the Counseling Center's core purpose is to enhance the emotional, relational, and psychological well-being of students. We strive to facilitate students' personal growth and enhance their academic success through accessible, culturally congruent clinical and outreach services. We work in collaboration with other Wellness and university departments and community partners.
The Counseling Center offers LGBTQ and Allies Discussion Group. Participants can share concerns with other students, decrease isolation and alienation from being in a majority heterosexual environment, have a chance to exchange ideas, experiences, and opinions with others, and connect with other LGBTQ/ally students.
Women’s Center
http://www.sandiego.edu/womenscenter
Student Life Pavilion 420
(619) 260-2396
The USD Women’s Center plays a role in empowering women to engage as leaders in a diverse and changing world. We are a student-centered learning community that provides resources and engages women and men in educational dialogue around gender-related issues. We are an advocate for a safe, supportive campus environment that creates equity among all voices.
University Ministry
http://www.sandiego.edu/administration/missionministry/
Hahn University Center
(619) 260-4735
University Ministry offers the opportunity for all students to seek spiritual guidance and/or to spend time reflecting with a wise companion on where God is moving in their lives. One time sessions, to help manage a particularly stressful week, as well as regular meeting times (such as once or twice a month) are available. For more information contact the University Ministry Center at x4735.
LGBT RESOURCES IN SAN DIEGO
The views and resources provided through the Center do not necessarily represent the views of the University of San Diego.
San Diego LGBT Community Center
www.thecentersd.org
Phone: (619) 692-2077 or 1-800-YOUTH98
Open daily, the Center provides a wide variety of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender programs and services including crisis counseling, individual and couple counseling, facilitated coming-out groups, and over a dozen gay and lesbian peer support and rap groups each week. Additional social, educational and cultural events and information regarding community resources available. HIV testing, counseling and substance abuse information and referral. Weekly youth drop-in hours. Located at 3909 Centre Street in Hillcrest. North County Center located in San Marcos (760-744-0220).
Network News
Terms
Ally: Is a person who validates and supports members of a community, regardless of whether or not they belong to that community.
LGBT: Is an acronym referring collectively to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people.
Lesbian: Refers to a woman whose primary or exclusive emotional, psychological, and sexual attraction is toward other women.
Gay: Is a term that refers to people who have a self-affirmed homosexual orientation. The term can and is used to refer to both men and women, but many women prefer to be called lesbians.
Bisexual: Refers to a person who is emotionally, psychologically, and sexually attracted to individuals of either sex.
Transgender: Refers to those whose gender expression at least sometimes runs contrary to what others in the same culture would normally expect. Transgender is a broad term that includes transsexuals, cross-dressers, drag queens/kings, and people who do not identify as either of the two sexes as currently defined.
Questioning: Refers to people who are uncertain as to their sexual orientation or gender identity. They are often seeking information and support during this stage of their identity development.
Coming Out (of the closet): To be “in the closet” means to hide one's identity. Many LGBT people are “out” in some situations and “closeted” in others. To “come out” is to publicly declare one's identity, sometimes to one person in conversation, sometimes to a group or in a public setting. Coming Out is a life-long process—in each new situation a person must decide whether or not to come out. Coming out can be difficult for some because reactions vary from complete acceptance and support to disapproval, rejection and even violence.
Heterosexism: Bias against non-heterosexuals based on a belief in the superiority of heterosexuality. Heterosexism does not imply the same fear and hatred as homophobia. It can describe seemingly innocent statements, such as “She’d drive any man wild” based on the assumption that heterosexuality is the norm.
Homophobia: Refers to a personal fear or hatred of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people. Such fear and hatred are based on the assumption that homosexuals and their relationships are unnatural and/or sick.
FAQs
What is an ally?
An ally is someone who validates and supports members of a community, regardless of whether or not they belong to that community.
Why is it important to have a Safe Space Allies Network at the University of San Diego?
The Safe Space Allies Network demonstrates the University’s commitment to its core value of community, highlighting inclusion and respect for all – regardless of sexual orientation or other identity. Grounded in Catholic Social Thought, the University’s mission affirms that all human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society.
Safe Space Allies contribute to improving campus climate for all community members. By directly addressing and attempting to reduce one type of bias, allies will indirectly address and reduce other forms of bias in the community.
What are the responsibilities?
Allies commit to foster an environment where homophobia is not tolerated and heterosexism is challenged. They continue to educate themselves on how to be an ally for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) & questioning people. Allies are easily identified and provide supportive space and a sense of security to LGBT and questioning people. They are knowledgeable about and refer others to appropriate services and resources. They are also members of the “Allies Network” at USD.
What does training entail?
A two and a half hour training provides participants with an opportunity to;
- explore anti-LGBT bias in their lives;
- establish qualities of an effective ally and set boundaries for ally work;
- Learn language for discussing LGBT issues and clarify terms and concepts regarding gender and sexuality;
- Learn strategies for intervening in anti-LGBT bias; and
- Learn strategies for being a supportive ally when someone comes out to them.
How do I sign up for a training?
Visit the Rainbow Educator website www.sandiego.edu/re to find out when trainings are being offered. Complete and submit the online form. Once submitted, you will receive a confirmation email with more detailed information about the training session.
How can I get a placard or button?
You must complete the Safe Space Allies training to receive a placard and/or button.
What does it mean if someone doesn’t post the placard?
Many allies exist within our community and may choose not to participate in the training. In no way does this indicate an ally’s lack of support for the LGBT community or her/his commitment to creating a more just and inclusive campus community.
What does the Safe Space Allies placard design mean?
The Safe Space Allies placard was designed to honor two important symbols within the LGBT community. The background of the placard contains the six colors of the rainbow. In 1978, Gilbert Baker of San Francisco designed and made a flag with six stripes representing the six colors of the rainbow as a symbol of gay and lesbian community pride. While this flag began in San Francisco, today it can be seen all over the world as a sign of pride and community.
The text on the placard is presented in the shape of an upside down triangle in honor of the “pink triangle.” An upside down pink triangle was originally used as a Nazi concentration camp symbol to label homosexual men. By the end of the 1970s, the pink triangle was adopted as a symbol of pride.
Catholic Viewpoints on Homosexuality
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, 1992 (#2357-2359)
Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.” They are contrary to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarily. Under no circumstances can they be approved.
The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. They do not choose their homosexual condition; for most of them it is a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.
Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner-freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
TO LIVE IN CHRIST, National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1976
Homosexuals, like everyone else, should not suffer from prejudice against their basic human rights. They have a right to respect, friendship and justice. They should have an active role in the Christian community.
THE PREJUDICE AGAINST HOMOSEXUALS AND THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH, Washington State Catholic Conference, 1983
Church teaching is positive with regard to homosexual persons considered in the totality of their beings ... Church teaching does not morally condemn homosexual orientation ... Nor are homosexuals to be blamed for not changing their orientations ... Church teaching makes certain judgments about the personal sinfulness of acts ... the prejudice against homosexuals is a greater infringement of the norm of Christian morality than is homosexual orientation or activity.
THE PASTORAL CARE OF HOMOSEXUAL PERSONS, 1986, #10
The teachings of the Catholic Church make it clear that the fundamental human rights of homosexual persons must be defended and that all of us must strive to eliminate any forms of injustice, oppression, or violence against them.
LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON THE PASTORAL CARE OF HOMOSEXUAL PERSONS, Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, 1986
It is deplorable that homosexual persons have been and are the objects of violent malice in speech or in action. Such treatment deserves condemnation from the Church's pastors wherever it occurs ... The particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin.
THE MANY FACES OF AIDS: A GOSPEL RESPONSE, United States Catholic Conference, 1987
Those who are gay or lesbian ... should not be objects of discrimination, injustice or violence. All of God's sons and daughters, all members of our society, are entitled to the recognition of their full human dignity.
HUMAN SEXUALITY: A CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE FOR EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING, United States Catholic Conference, 1990
Sexuality ... is a fundamental dimension of every human being. It is reflected physiologically, psychologically, and relationally in a person's gender identity as well as in one's primary sexual orientation and behavior. For some young men and women, this means a discovery that one is homosexual, i.e., that one's `sexual inclinations are orientated predominately toward persons of the same sex'.
We call on all Christians and citizens of good will to confront their own fears about homosexuality and to curb the humor and discrimination that offend homosexual persons. We understand that having a homosexual orientation brings with it enough anxiety, pain and issue related to self-acceptance without society adding additional prejudicial treatment.
Educationally, homosexuality cannot and ought not be skirted or ignored. The optic must be faced in all objectivity by the pupil and the educator when the case presents itself. First and foremost, we support modeling and teaching respect for every human person, regardless of sexual orientation. Second, a parent or teacher must also present clearly and delicately the unambiguous moral norms of the Christian tradition regarding homosexual genital activity, appropriately geared to the age level and maturity of the learner. Finally, parents and educators must remain open to the possibility that a particular person, whether adolescent or adult, may be struggling to accept his or her own homosexual orientation. The distinction between being homosexual and doing homosexual genital actions, while not always clear and convincing, is a helpful and important one when dealing with the complex issue of homosexuality, particularly in the educational and pastoral arena.
Like heterosexual persons, homosexual men and women are called to give witness to chastity, avoiding, with God's grace, behavior that is wrong for them, just as nonmarital sexual relations are wrong for heterosexual men and women.
Woven through every search for genuine love, for personal maturity, and for interpersonal commitments, is a call to be chaste, sexually responsible, and appropriate for one's particular vocation or state in life. Chastity is often misunderstood as simply a suppression or deliberate inhibition of sexual thoughts, feelings, and actions in a way that values, esteems, and respects the dignity of oneself and others. Chastity frees us from the tendency to act in a manipulative or exploitive manner in our relationships and enables us to show true love and kindness always.
ALWAYS OUR CHILDREN: A PASTORAL MESSAGE TO PARENTS OF HOMOSEXUAL CHILDREN AND SUGGESTIONS FOR PASTORAL MINISTERS, NCCB Bishops's Committee on Marriage and Family, 1998
Our message speaks of accepting yourself, your beliefs and values, your questions, and all you may be struggling with at this moment; accepting and loving your child as a gift of God; and accepting the full truth of God's revelation about the dignity of the human person and the meaning of human sexuality. Within the Catholic moral vision there is no contradiction among these levels of acceptance, for truth and love are not opposed. They are inseparably joined and rooted in one person, Jesus Christ, who reveals God to be ultimate truth and saving love.
This child, who has always been God's gift to you, may now be the cause of another gift: your family becoming more honest, respectful and supportive ... It seems appropriate to understand sexual orientation (heterosexual or homosexual) as a deep seated dimension of one's personality and to recognize its relative stability in a person…
There seems to be no single cause of a homosexual orientation. A common opinion of experts is that there are multiple factors—genetic, hormonal, psychological—that may give rise to it. Generally, homosexual orientation is experienced as a given, not as something freely chosen. By itself, therefore, a homosexual orientation cannot be considered sinful, for morality presumes the freedom to choose.
All in all, it is essential to recall one basic truth. God loves every person as a unique individual. Sexual identity helps to define the unique persons we are, and one component of our sexual identity is sexual orientation. Thus, our total personhood is more encompassing than sexual orientation. Human beings see the appearance, but the Lord looks into the heart (cf. 1 Sm 16:7).
God does not love someone any less simply because he or she is homosexual. God's love is always and everywhere offered to those who are open to receiving it. St. Paul's words offer great hope:
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8:38-39)
A deep respect for the total person leads the Church to hold and teach that sexuality is a gift from God. Being created a male or female person is an essential part of the divine plan, for it is their sexuality—a mysterious blend of spirit and body—that allows human beings to share in God's own creative love and life.
Like all gifts from God, the power and freedom of sexuality can be channeled toward good or evil. Everyone—the homosexual and the heterosexual person—is called to personal maturity and responsibility. With the help of God's grace, everyone is called to practice the virtue of chastity in relationships. Chastity means integrating one's thoughts, feelings, and actions, in the area of human sexuality, in a way that values and respects one's own dignity and that of others. It is "the spiritual power which frees love from selfishness and aggression" (Pontifical Council for the Family, The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, 1996, no. 16).
Christ summons all his followers—whether they are married or living a single celibate life—to a higher standard of loving. This includes not only fidelity, forgiveness, hope, perseverance, and sacrifice, but also chastity, which is expressed in modesty and self-control. The chaste life is possible, though not always easy, for it involves a continual effort to turn toward God and away from sin, especially with the strength of the sacraments of penance and eucharist. Indeed God expects everyone to strive for the perfection of love, but to achieve it gradually through stages of moral growth (cf. John Paul II, On the Family, 1981, no. 34). To keep our feet on the path of conversion, God's grace is available to and sufficient for everyone open to receiving it.
Furthermore, as homosexual persons "dedicate their lives to understanding the nature of God's personal call to them, they will be able to celebrate the sacrament of penance more faithfully and receive the Lord's grace so freely offered there in order to convert their lives more fully to his way" (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Letter on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, 1986, no. 12).
To live and love chastely is to understand that "only within marriage does sexual intercourse fully symbolize the Creator's dual design, as an act of covenant love, with the potential of co-creating new human life" (United States Catholic Conference, Human Sexuality: A Catholic Perspective for Education and Lifelong Learning, 1991, p. 55). This is a fundamental teaching of our Church about sexuality, rooted in the biblical account of man and woman created in the image of God and made for union with one another (Gn 2–3).
Two conclusions follow. First, it is God's plan that sexual intercourse occur only within marriage between a man and a woman. Second, every act of intercourse must be open to the possible creation of human life. Homosexual intercourse cannot fulfill these two conditions. Therefore, the Church teaches that homogenital behavior is objectively immoral, while making the important distinction between this behavior and a homosexual orientation, which is not immoral in itself. It is also important to recognize that neither a homosexual orientation, nor a heterosexual one, leads inevitably to sexual activity. One's total personhood is not reducible to sexual orientation or behavior.
Respect for the God-given dignity of all persons means the recognition of human rights and responsibilities. The teachings of the Church make it clear that the fundamental human rights of homosexual persons must be defended and that all of us must strive to eliminate any forms of injustice, oppression, or violence against them (cf. The Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, 1986, no. 10).
It is not sufficient only to avoid unjust discrimination. Homosexual persons "must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2358). They, as is true of every human being, need to be nourished at many different levels simultaneously. This includes friendship, which is a way of loving and is essential to healthy human development. It is one of the richest possible human experiences. Friendship can and does thrive outside of genital sexual involvement.
To our homosexual brothers and sisters we offer a concluding word. This message has been an outstretched hand to your parents and families inviting them to accept God's grace present in their lives now and to trust in the unfailing mercy of Jesus our Lord. Now we stretch out our hands and invite you to do the same. We are called to become one body, one spirit in Christ. We need one another if we are to " . . . grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body's growth and builds itself up in love" (Eph 4:15-16).
Though at times you may feel discouraged, hurt, or angry, do not walk away from your families, from the Christian community, from all those who love you. In you God's love is revealed. You are always our children.
This document is based on "Information on the Catholic Church's Stance on Homosexuality" by Allies and ABiGaLe at Holy Cross University.
