Safe Spaces: Honoring Gender and Sexuality in the Workplace

UW-Eau Claire Continuing Education is offering “Safe Spaces: Honoring Gender and Sexuality in the Workplace”:

“In this virtual training, learn about creating safe, inclusive spaces at work, school, and in your community. Gain an understanding of key terms surrounding safe spaces and LGBTQIA+ while exploring your own identity and become more self-aware.

Acknowledge and learn what it takes to create Safe, Inclusive Spaces

What are safe spaces? Safe spaces are places where a person or a group of people can feel comfortable that they will not be exposed to discrimination or harassment.

Safe Spaces have become a focus of conversation whether it be in campus climates at educational institutes or organizations looking to foster a sense of inclusion. Amidst the sometimes contentious debate, one fact remains: exploring one’s own identities and how they implicitly and explicitly interact with others is key to self‐awareness, increased productivity, and equitable environments.

This safe space training focuses on people who are LGBTQIA+ and the diverse, complex communities this acronym represents. Research shows when supported in the classroom/school/workplace, people who are LGBTQIA+ exhibit far less anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Moreover, supportive environments result in overwhelmingly positive outcomes: people who are LGBTQIA+ miss less school or work, are more productive and earn higher grades.

Safe spaces allow marginalized people to be heard and to contribute more freely. This safe space training caters to varying levels of experience. Whether unpacking the LGBTQIA+ acronym for the first time, further honing your skills as an ally or someone who identifies as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, we will work together to curate sustainable change–one safe space at a time.

Some terms and topics we will discuss include:

• Social justice and creating sustainable change
• LGBTQIA+
• Pronouns
• Gender identify, gender expression, sexual orientation, and gender roles
• Erasure
• Intersectionality, power, and oppression
• The queer legal landscape
• Allyship
• Resources”