The purpose of this webpage is to provide resources for our allies and GLBT students in the Stillwater community.

FALL 2009 SAFEZONE WORKSHOPS

Safe Zone Ally training and Advanced Safe Zone presentations are scheduled for the following dates. The purpose of Advanced Safe Zone Presentation is to develop advanced knowledge and skills with the GLBT community, with a special focus on the intersex and transgender populations.

If you would like to participate, please RSVP by sending an email to tamara.richardson@okstate.edu with SAFE ZONE in the subject line and indicate the date you plan on attending. This will ensure that we have accompanying materials prepared for you.

WHAT IS SAFE ZONE?
Safe Zone is a program designed to identify people in Stillwater, Oklahoma who consider themselves to be open to and knowledgeable about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) issues. Members display a Safe Zone symbol to demonstrate their acceptance of GLBT individuals.

HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?
Participation in Safe Zone is purely voluntary and membership is free. Each member is required to participate in a 3-hour and 15 minute workshop. These workshops are generally offered once or twice a semester and are advertised on the "OSU Headlines" email communication system. You can also call or stop by the OSU Student Counseling Center to request information.

Contact Information:
Tamara Richardson, Ph.D.
Safe Zone Coordinator
(405) 744-5472
tamara.richardson@okstate.edu

WHY DO WE HAVE SAFE ZONE?
Oklahoma State University and the surrounding community are proud of their culturally diverse population and support cultural diversity in every way possible. Safe Zone is a way to say that all sexual orientations and gender presentations are part of our culture and are acknowledged and supported.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF I SEE A SAFE ZONE SYMBOL DISPLAYED?
A Safe Zone symbol identifies the person as someone who has chosen to educate her/himself about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues and has information about local resources.

WHO CAN BECOME A MEMBER?
Anyone who is interested and willing to be an ally can join Safe Zone.

DO I HAVE TO BE GAY TO JOIN SAFE ZONE?
Displaying the Safe Zone symbol does not mean that you are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender or that you will participate in any GLBT activities.

WHAT DO SAFE ZONE MEMBERS DO?
Safe Zone members agree to be aware of the presence of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals. Members also believe that campuses and communities are enriched by the diversity of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals and are willing to assist individuals in accessing support and information resources on campus and in the community. Safe Zone members also agree to maintain confidentiality at work, use inclusive language, avoid stereotyping, and do not assume heterosexuality. Lastly, and most importantly, Safe Zone members may make a difference in someone's life and possibly never know about it.

CAN I GET A SAFE ZONE LOGO DECAL?
To get a Safe Zone logo decal to display we only ask that you have participated in one of our on-campus workshops. We would like to ensure that we have a consistant message to all at our campuses.

WHO COORDINATES SAFE ZONE AT OSU?

Tamara Richardson, Ph.D. Senior Clinical Counselor Safe Zone Coordinator Student Counseling Center 316 Student Union Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK 74078 (405) 744-5472

Joseph Dunnigan, B.A. Senior Clinical Counselor Assistant Safe Zone Coordinator Student Counseling Center 316 Student Union Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK 74078 (405) 744-5472

Join us on our SAFE ZONE MYSPACE page at: www.myspace.com/osusafezone