Safe Space
The Safe Space workshop is designed to reduce homophobia and heterosexism on our campus and thereby make our campus a safer and freer environment for all members of our community. This spring the DEC is rolling out a new tiered model. These workshops create an educational experience through which students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to explore their personal identities, cultural identities, stereotypes, privilege, and what it means to be an Ally and Accomplice. The program is also designed to understand how these issues impact the UNO and global community. After attending the Tier 1 and Tier 2 Safe Zone workshops participants have the choice to sign the Safe Space Pledge and take a Safe Space placard.
Tier I focuses on learning terminology and gendered pronouns, as well as, to give participants tools to initiate their own further education.
Tier II is designed to understand a broad scope of the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals, the cycle of oppression, and how you can be a more effective ally and accomplice
Tier III continues the dialogue and education about the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals, focusing on the impact that members of the group have had on world history and the history of the community itself with a hyper-focus on intersectionality.
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Request a workshop
At this time all in-person workshops will be put on pause.
You may request access to the tier 1 moodle course by emailing diversity@uno.edu
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Upcoming workshops and programs
Join the Diversity Engagement Center via Zoom for Safe Space workshop that will focus on Terminology and small steps you can take right now to improve the lived experiences of our LGBTQIA+ community.
Faculty/Staff Virtual Safe Space Training: LGBTQIA+ Terminology
Wednesday, September 22, 1:00pm-2:30pm
Register here: tinyurl.com/fs-sept-tier1
Faculty/Staff Virtual Safe Space Training: Effective Allyship
Wednesday, October 6, 1:00pm-2:30pm
Register here: tinyurl.com/fs-oct-tier2
Faculty/Staff Virtual Safe Space Training: History & Intersectionality
Wednesday, October 20, 1:00pm-2:30pm
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/fs-oct-tier3
Safe Space Training: Tier 1 LGBTQIA+ Terminology
Tuesday, October 5 5:30pm-7:00pm
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/student-oct-tier1
Safe Space Training: Tier 2 Effective Allyship
Thursday, October 21, 5:30pm-7:00pm
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/student-oct-tier2
Safe Space Training: Tier 1 LGBTQIA+ Terminology
Tuesday, November 9, 12:30pm-2:00pm
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/student-nov-tier1
Safe Space Training: Tier 2 Effective Allyship
Tuesday, November 16, 12:30pm-2:00pm
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/student-nov-tier2
Safe Space Training: Tier 3 History & Intersectionality
Thursday, November 18, 5:30pm-7:00pm
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/student-nov-tier3
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An ally/accomplice is...
- Someone who is committed to providing visible, tangible support for the LGBTQIA+ community
- Someone you can go to for day to day advice, and know that your sexuality or gender identity is not an issue and is not something you have to worry about concealing
- Someone who is committed to providing a confidential (within limits) safe zone for members of the LGBTQIA+ community
- Someone who is available as a reference for anyone with questions about sexuality or gender identity issues. An ally may not always have an answer but should know where to find it.
- Someone who has agreed to continually improve their knowledge about the LGBTQIA+ community and issues via in-service or continuous training sessions and campus programs
- Someone who agrees to combat homophobia and heterosexism on a personal level.
- Someone who believes that our campus is enriched and enlivened by the diversity of LGBTQIA+ students, faculty and staff
- Someone who can comfortably use inclusive language, avoid stereotyping, and be actively aware of heterosexism
- Someone who agrees to support other allies
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An ally/accomplice is not...
- (necessarily) A licensed, professional counselor, but an ALLY can offer someone a menu of alternative sources for help
- A spokesperson for the LGBTQIA+ communities at large, but an ALLY is an individual that can speak for themselves from their experience
- An expert on the "coming out" process, but an ALLY is someone who is sensitive to and concerned for individuals during this process. An ALLY can offer someone a selection of others to whom they can speak.
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UNO Faculty & Staff Safe Space Allies
Below will find a list of UNO faculty and staff who have completed Tier 1 and Tier 2 of the Safe Space Workshops and have committed to support the LGBTQIA+ community at UNO and Beyond.
*This is not a comprehensive list and will be updated as more workshops are completed.*
First Name Last Name Pronouns Title and Department Joy Ballard She/Her/Hers Assistant Director, Student Involvement and Leadership Ryan Anne Bell She/Her/Hers Director, Experiential Learning and Community Engagement Trajuan Briggs He/Him/His Athletics Eligibility & Academic Specialist, Athletics Elaine S. Brooks She/Her/Hers Professor and Chair of English and Foreign Languages Paige Ciolino She/Her/Hers Student Care Coordinator, The HUB Sonja Daniels She/Her/Hers Student Care Coordinator, The HUB Julie Landry She/Her/Hers Office Manger, Office of Research Monique Nolan Legendre She/Her/Hers Tutor Coordinator, Student Support Services Julia A. Li She/Her/They Instructor Sociology/Dept of Anthropology and Sociology Debra Salbador She/Her/Hers Visiting Assistant Professor Cathy Simoneaux Karaline Zeigler, LCSW She/Her/Hers College Success Coach, College Beyond Amanda Robbins She/Her/Hers Director, Office of Residential Life Joe T. Sylve, Ph.D. He/Him/His Adjunct Professor, Computer Science Phoebe Zito She/Her/Hers Assistant Professor, Chemistry Kimberly Esteves She/Her/Hers Dual Enrollment Coordinator, Admissions Irene Ziegler She/Her/Hers Program Director, UNO-Innsbruck International Summer School