Safe Zones Brochure

							                                    LGBT Task Force


                                                                                                                  afe
                                    This brochure was prepared by the Lesbian, Gay,
                                    Bisexual & Transgendered Task Force of the South

Community Resources
Courtesy of www.pink-triangle.org
                                    Seattle Community College Diversity & Retention
                                    Committee which includes the following:

                                         Office of Diversity & Retention
                                                                                                                 S
                                         South Seattle Community College
   Gay Youth Info Line                   6000 Sixteenth Avenue SW, 4RS 158
   (206) 547-7900                        Seattle, WA 98106-1499
                                         (206) 768-6455
   Lambert House
   1818-15th Avenue                      Maureen Shadair, Chair
   Seattle, WA 98122-2629                Student Success Services
   (206) 322-2515                        mshadair@sccd.ctc.edu
   www.lamberthouse.org                  (206) 768-6760

   Lesbian Resource Center               Pedro Reyes, III
   2214 South Jackson                    Career Link Academy
   Seattle, WA 98144-2339                preyes@sccd.ctc.edu
   (206) 322-3953                        (206) 768-6475
   www.lrc.net
                                         Candace Hunsucker
   PFLAG-Seattle Chapter                 Student Commissioner
   1122 East Pike Street, PMB 620        sscclgbtqcommissioner@sccd.ctc.edu
   Seattle, WA 98122-3934                (206) 768-6425
   (206) 325-7724
   www.seattle-pflag.org            The Seattle Community College District VI Provides equal
                                    opportunity in education and employment and does not
                                    discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national
   Queercore/Gay City               origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a
   1505 Broadway                    veteran or Vietnam-era veteran. The District complies with all
                                    Washington state and federal laws relating to anti-discrimination
   Seattle, WA 98122-3810           and equal opportunity.
   (206) 860-6969
   www.queercore.org


                                    South Seattle Community College
                                    6000 16th Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98106
                                                                                                                 South
                                                                                                           South Seattle Community College
                                    www.southseattle.edu • (206) 764-5300
What are Safe Zones?                                 How Do I Create a                                        “Never doubt that a small
Safe Zones are areas on campus (offices,             Safe Zone?                                                     group of thoughtful
student lounges & volunteer area) where LGBTQ
students can freely and openly discuss issues            Indicate your interest by contacting a                 committed citizens can
that specifically affect them as South Seattle           member of the LGBTQ Committee
Community College students. Participants in a            Attend a Safe Zones Orientation                   change the world. Indeed, it’s
safe zone project can be instructors,
administrators, staff and other students                 Display a Safe Zones Symbol in your office in    the only thing that ever has.”
regardless of sexual orientation.                        a prominent way
                                                         Educate yourself about LGBTQ issues                                          - Margaret Mead
                                                         Talk to LGBTQ students and other allies
Why Safe Zones?                                          when you have questions
                                                         Attend LGBTQ special events and show your
While at South Seattle Community College,                support for LGBTQ students publicly when
many of our students begin the education and             possible
social transition to college life. For some
students this can be an extremely difficult time.        Be open to continual learning                    History of the
For some LGBTQ students, this transition is even
more difficult due to the increased stress and
                                                                                                          Pink T riangle
isolation associated with identifying as part of
an oppressed group. Creating a safe climate for
                                                      he ruth About
                                                     T T                                                  The pink triangle has become one of the symbols
all students is the responsibility of any academic
institution and supports directly SSCC’s stated
                                                     Safe Zones                                           of the modern gay rights movement, but it
                                                                                                          originated in Nazi concentration camps during
strategic goal to promote diversity on campus                                                             World War II. In many camps, prisoners wore
                                                     The Safe Zone project serves mainly as a support     badges whose colors defined the reason for
and provide customer service appropriate to a
                                                     to our LGBTQ students by creating a welcoming        imprisonment. For example, Jews were forced to
diverse college population.
                                                     discrimination-free environment for students.        wear yellow stars and men “convicted” of
For these reasons, Safe Zones on college                                                                  homosexuality wore a pink triangle. It is believed
                                                     Those who participate in the project will not be     that lesbian women wore black triangles. The
campuses represent a place where LGBTQ
                                                     expected to “know all the answers” or be             triangle icon has been reclaimed by many in the
students can receive support and understanding
                                                     experts on the LGBTQ community or topics. Safe       post-Stonewall gay rights movement as a symbol
they might not receive elsewhere.
                                                     Zones participants will have many opportunities to   of empowerment, and, by some, as a symbol of
                                                     learn about LGBTQ issues through reading,            remembrance for the suffering of others during a
                                                     participation in The Safe Zones Project as well as   tragic time in history.
                                                     other LGBTQ political and social activities.