MEGHAN GUATTERY
Staff Writer
While walking around campus, you may have noticed an upside down, triangular, rainbow colored sticker on the occasional office door. On these stickers are two short words: “Safe Zone”
Although these stickers receive no more than a passing glance by students on their way to classes, many have found comfort and acceptance behind these stickered doors.
In the past, Safe Zone has been involved with many events around campus, including Ally Week and National Coming Out Day. However, the group has begun to stray from its purpose and place on campus.
“We are trying to pull Safe Zone back to what it originally was: a training committee to help the campus grow and accept things that aren’t always easy to accept,” said Schultz Hall Residence Director and Chair of the Safe Zone Committee Ricky Reiss.
“Everyone on campus should feel safe,” said junior international studies and philosophy double major Skyler Rutkowski. “Safe Zone is for the queer community. Every minority needs something that makes them feel and be safe. It is great for the queer community, because if you don’t have that safety, how do you live your life?”
Safe Zone’s presence in the queer community on the Fredonia campus was started by Counseling Center staff member Julie Bezek, and was only recently taken over by Reiss.
“The goal of Safe Zone is to provide a safe environment for students to talk about anything bothering them: if they are an ally, if they are coming out, if a family member is coming out, things like that,” said Reiss. “The main focus of the committee is to train people to be able to provide those answers for others.”
By displaying the Safe Zone symbol, students, faculty members and Student Association groups show that they are allies. The sticker also means that they will maintain confidentiality and will be understanding, supportive and empathetic with any queer-related conversations or questions.
“The training focuses on a general education around LGBTQ,” said Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Dr. Bill Boerner. “Having discussions and information about these topics has been very useful. There are ways to practice the difficult conversations that can arise. The training helps so that they are comfortable and competent with discussing anything that comes their way. It ensures a visible presence so that when students are coming to a faculty member’s office or walking through residence halls, they realize that this is a safe, welcoming, affirming place.”
Later in the semester, Safe Zone will be offering two trainings: one for students and another for faculty members. While Safe Zone training is not mandatory, offices, departments and student organizations are welcome to request their own training sessions with the committee.
“I like seeing the stickers and it makes me really happy that these professors and organizations went out of their way to get the education,” said Rutkowski. “You aren’t forced to do that. They took their own initiative and it’s nice to know that they care enough to do so.”
With Reiss leading the way, the Safe Zone committee is working toward reshaping their image as a group.
Boerner has high hopes for what the program can become and how it can help Fredonia’s queer community — the second largest in the SUNY system.
“The goal would be to infuse Safe Zone training throughout our entire campus,” said Boerner. “Even though our society seems to be progressing around LGBTQ issues, there are still so many problems. We need people to experience difference, to figure out how to engage people who are different from them and learn from each other. The more individuals we have on campus who are comfortable talking about these issues, the better we will be as a campus and particularly a society.”
For more information on Safe Zone and their trainings, or to schedule a training for your group, contact Erika Reiss at erika.reiss@fredonia.edu.