How long will it take to complete the course?

That’s entirely up to you. In our Self-Guided Foundational Safe Zone Training, for example, we have enough material, prompts, and exercises to keep you occupied for several days of intense learning. Or you could complete it in 2 – 3 hours. Because our courses are self-guided, you determine how long they’ll take. Some of our activities… Read more »

Why do you encourage people to attend in-person Safe Zone trainings?

Here are four, of so-many-more-we-could-list, reasons. At an in-person training, you have the chance to… Meet other people in your community who are interested in learning more about gender and sexuality. While workshops and trainings are awesome they often are just the start of the conversation and it’s great to have folks you’re already connected… Read more »

LGBTQ Umbrella

A mini explanation of queer, LGBTQ. A useful place to start helping folks separate genders from sexualities.

Is your curriculum really free? What’s the catch?

Yes, it 100% is. And there are no catches. For serious. We get it. The way we do things is a little, well, different. A lot of people have grown to expect curriculum to cost hundreds of dollars to use, and to come with a lot of caveats, usage restrictions, and hoops to jump through. A lot… Read more »

I want to attend a Safe Zone training. How do I do that?

Google! We’re not being snarky, either. We suggest searching [Your Town/City/Region Name] + “Safe Zone LGBTQ Trainings” and seeing what comes up. Even if the training isn’t called “Safe Zone,” (and they often won’t be) you’ll likely find something that will scratch a similar itch. If that doesn’t work, reach out to any local LGBTQ+… Read more »

Is your curriculum evidence-based?

Nope. Our curriculum is evidence-informed, but not evidence-based. Here’s why: We tweak the curriculum several times a year based on changes in culture, research, and feedback from facilitators. We overhaul the curriculum every year (including frequent substantive changes to the structure, or replacing activities) Our curriculum is used in over 100 countries in more capacities… Read more »

When are applications due?

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and are generally due two weeks before the intended internship term begins (e.g., Fall Term applications are due August 15th, two weeks before September 1). We’ll announce deadlines for each term on our blog, particularly if the deadline falls outside of this rule.

How are interns selected?

Thoughtfully! All applications are reviewed by Meg & Sam personally. Beyond meeting the minimum requirements, the following criteria are considered: in what unique ways will this person complement our team, how well does their intern project mesh with our abilities to provide guidance and a platform, and what special skills or gifts do they have… Read more »

Is the internship paid?

No. Generally speaking, this is an unpaid, volunteer internship. We’re happy to work with interns to receive college credit, and if an intern facilitates or co-facilitates a training for which the SZP is gifted money, the intern is paid the same as any other facilitator.

Demystifying Coming Out

A handout (and handy activity) for demystifying coming out as well as some easy do and don’ts when it comes to supporting someone’s coming out process.

Isn’t “Queer” a bad word?

No, Sometimes, and Yes. For many people (especially those who are younger, or in more urban areas) queer is a word of pride and the best way to “umbrella” diverse sexualities and genders. For some, queer is considered a “bad word” (i.e., a slur) in some contexts, and okay in others (e.g., who is saying it,… Read more »

I did a Safe Zone [some # of] years ago. Do I need to do another one?

Depends. The material covered in Safe Zone trainings evolves over time — at least, it should. If you’re doing a Safe Zone where the material hasn’t been updated in years, it’s at best out of date, at worst harmfully inaccurate. And tons of folks do trainings using the “Safe Zone” moniker that include very different activities and… Read more »

Can I modify the curriculum / resources?

Yes yes yes! Please do. Everything is uncopyrighted, and we did that for YOU. No need to ask permission, but we would appreciate you sharing back anything cool you make, so we can spread the word.

LGBT vs LGBTQ vs GLBTQ vs GLBTQQIAPTS vs …

As you may have noticed, on the site and in our curriculum we tend to use the acronym LGBTQ+ when referring to the queer community. Is this the right acronym to use? No, there really isn’t a “right” one — they all have their pros and cons. This is just the one we feel has… Read more »

Why do you include an asterisk in Trans*?

The term transgender is often used as an umbrella term for many other terms that indicate an individual is not cisgender.  We use the word trans* throughout this site to indicate this umbrella term-y-ness and as an inclusive way to indicate a variety of non-cisgender identities in one simple term.  We pronounce this term simply… Read more »

What about advanced workshops? Safe Zone 201 perhaps?

Our Foundational Curriculum is a designed to create a Safe Zone 101 overview workshop. We recommend this workshop for all audiences – gay, straight, queer, allied, and anywhere in between (or outside) those categories. While some of it may be old information for some, we believe that everyone, no matter their knowledge level, will get… Read more »

Core Vocabulary

This activity focuses in on the essential vocabulary and LGBTQ terminology relating to gender and sexuality.

How to Read a Group

The importance of responding to the group’s needs, checking in with individual members, and how to pick up what they’re putting down

Coming Out Story

An experiment in empathizing with a hypothetical person’s experiences, struggles, and setbacks with the lifelong process that is coming out.

Genderbread Person

Using the Genderbread Person as a guide, the activity leads participants to understand the important difference between gender, sex, and sexual orientation.