A series of workshops and training sessions promoting safe space at Carleton will be running over the summer by the Gender and Sexuality Resource Centre (GSRC).
The workshops, called “Safe(r) Space,” are annual training sessions that cover definitions, how to promote ally-ship, coming out and transition, and levels of oppression that affect members of the LGBTQ+ community, said GSRC programming co-ordinator Merissa Taylor-Meissner.
She said campus security, residence fellows, and frosh groups took advantage of the training sessions last year, but the workshops hope to engage more groups and societies this year.
“We thought it would be a good opportunity to offer the training sessions to any organization around campus that wants it,” Taylor-Meissner said. “Now we’re having requests from the engineering society and other groups.”
Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) vice-president (student services) Frena Hailekiros said she is very supportive of the Safe(r) Space workshops and plans to have all CUSA staff trained annually.
“One of the things I’m doing as VPSS is making sure that every single CUSA staff attends one of these trainings—that is something different than last year,” Hailekiros said.
Hailekiros added new employees of CUSA are trained in Safe(r) Space training sessions, but it’s not something that’s been done annually.
“I want people to come and get the training every single year, rather than just once,” she said, and added new training sessions are necessary to keep students and staff updated with changes.
This is the first time that the training sessions are being run from May to September, as well as in the fall for new hires and frosh groups, according to GSRC staff member Violette Pelley.
“The only reason we decided to do it in the summer is because a lot of campus groups, especially their staff, are here in the summer with a lot of down time,” Pelley said. “It also gives us the opportunity for staff to talk to department heads to get them Safe(r) Space certified.”
Safe Space came under fire just last September after two Carleton students were seen wearing “Fuck Safe Space” shirts near the university during fall orientation week. The shirts prompted an apology to the Carleton community, and students rallied in support of Safe Space as a response.
Taylor-Meissner said she believes the GSRC’s safe space training was targeted by the shirts.
“The similarities in language are no coincidence,” said Taylor-Meissner. “The GSRC wants to foster an environment where anyone can ask questions free of judgement, as it is clear as campaigns such as “Fuck Safe Space” come from ignorance.”
She added that after the incident, the GSRC has become more determined to educate people about the realities that LGBTQ+ students face.
Pelley said the eventual goal of the workshops is to have as many people trained as possible.
“We want to make sure that the Safe(r) Space program is promoted and that students are able to feel safe at the university,” she said.
