Safe Zone Program
We are proud to provide Safe Zone trainings for the Johns Hopkins community.
Safe Zone Mission
The Safe Zone mission is to promote an environment where the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community and their allies flourish intellectually, socially, and emotionally. Towards this end, we envision the program as a visible network of allies who support each other and support individual LGBTQ people. We hope to build a climate where everyone feels safe and accepted.
Johns Hopkins affirms our commitment to a diverse and inclusive community in many ways, including having sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in our non-discrimination policy. The Safe Zone program invites everyone to create a safer and more supportive campus climate for sexual and gender minorities and their allies. The Safe Zone program is housed within Gender & Sexuality Resources (formerly housed within LGBTQ Life). It was established in 2012 as a collaborative training effort engaging students, staff, and faculty across all departments and offices at Hopkins.
Click here to sign up for upcoming Safe Zone workshops! Our August Safe Zone Conference will be on August 2-3 (virtual). Participants can take all 4 workshops or sign up for individual workshops on those dates as their schedules allow.
- Since 2013, over 2,500 members of the Johns Hopkins community have participated in Safe Zone trainings. Look for the rainbow signs everywhere you go!
- Some of our participants have elected to add their name to our online ally directory, in order to serve as resources for others.
- We are committed to making the trainings available to any members of the Hopkins community who wish to participate. Please email us to request any accommodations so that you can fully participate in the training.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few of the frequently asked questions with respect to Safe Zone training. If you have a question that isn’t answered here, email us!
What does it mean if I see a Safe Zone symbol on someone’s door or email signature?
A Safe Zone symbol on someone’s door or email means that they’ve gone through all 4 Safe Zone Workshops and are ready to provide support and act as an ally. Being Safe Zone trained also means that they’ll have a good knowledge of what resources are available beyond just what they can provide.
Why aren’t Safe Zone trainings mandatory?
The goal of Safe Zone is to create a network of visible allies who are prepared and willing to provide support. Since these are people who might receive sensitive or personal information, it’s important that everyone who goes through the training is ready to be helpful. With a mandatory training, some people who are listed as Safe Zone members may not truly be invested in supporting LGBTQA people.
Does my Safe Zone training expire?
No, it doesn’t expire, but we are going to be regularly updating the curriculum. So while it’s not required, we recommend renewing Safe Zone training every 3 years.
Why does the training last such a long time?!
There’s a lot of information! And more than just providing information, Safe Zone trainings also include discussion and practice for real life situations. In fact, the most common feedback we get is that the training should be longer in order to cover topics in more depth.
If you’d like to have a shorter information session, contact us and we’ll work with you to make something that works for you.
Can I request a Safe Zone Workshop for my student organization or campus department?
We currently do not have the capacity to offer Safe Zone to individual units or departments. Instead, we encourage groups to sign up to attend a general Safe Zone Workshop together.
We do offer workshops and trainings for student groups and campus departments. Check out our offerings and request a training by filling out our CDI Presentation Request form
Shouldn’t all spaces be Safe Zones? Why do we need to designate certain spaces as safe?
Designating specific spaces and specific people ensures that there’s a place people can go where they can be sure that they’ll be supported and welcomed.
I can’t come to a training. Can you email me the manual instead?
We believe that experiencing the training in person (or virtually) is an important part of developing one’s skills as an ally. If you want to learn more without attending a training, we have a glossary on our site as well as a trans introduction page.
What if I already received a Safe Zone training at another institution?
That’s great! And we invite you to bring what you learned at your previous institution with you. However, we still encourage you to attend a Safe Zone training here at Hopkins. By attending one of our sessions you’ll be better connected to JHU-specific resources, and learn about issues and situations specific to this institution.