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Safe Zone Initiative

The WVU LGBTQ+ Center is committed to providing WVU students, faculty, and staff with the necessary knowledge and tools to serve as active allies to the LGBTQIA2S+ community on campus.

safe zone trainings

Our regularly-scheduled bimonthly Sexuality 101 and Gender 101 Safe Zone trainings are geared toward WVU higher education professionals and students. During these interactive sessions, participants are provided with information regarding:

  • Definitions and preferred usage
  • How to be an active ally, including how those of us in the LGBTQ+ community can be better allies to one another
  • Campus and community climate issues
  • Campus and community resources

We encourage all those who participate in trainings to display a Safe Zone symbol but it is not necessary; you may decide to participate for personal knowledge, too. All Sexuality 101 and Gender 101 Safe Zone Trainings are held remotely via zoom and are 90 minutes long.

You must register in advance via the listed Zoom links. Please note that registration requires authentication to join: WVU Users Only. Registration for trainings requires a WVU-affiliated email address (@mail.wvu.edu, @mix.wvu.edu, or @hsc.wvu.edu)

Before being able to register, you must have a WVU licensed account associated with your WVU email address. To claim your Zoom account you need to go to wvu.zoom.us and use the sign in with SSO option on the page. Once signed in this will claim your account and you will be able to register. 

Safe zone training categories

All WVU departments, units, faculty, staff and students
are encouraged to attend one or more of these trainings:

Sexuality 101

Provides information on sexual orientation histories and experiences associated with LGBTQ+ communities. Facilitates opportunities to discuss problem solving skills while applying information to real life scenarios. We encourage students, faculty, and staff to think critically about issues affecting LGBTQ+ communities and learn how to commit to improving our campus climate.

Sign Up for Sexuality 101 Safe Zone Trainings 

gender 101

Covers basic information about transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people and communities, demographic information about the size of transgender populations in the US and in WV, and histories of transgender activism, as well as issues related to trans health care and transition, and trans-specific experiences with hate crimes and discrimination.

Sign Up for Gender 101 Safe Zone Trainings

HealthCare

Learn how to provide better care and services to transgender and non-binary people. The training covers information on health disparities, demographic information, brief history of health-related activism, overview of gender-affirming practices, overall experiences with healthcare system and respective intersectional complications.

Learn about Healthcare Safe Zone Trainings

classroom presentation

In this training, you and your students will learn more about the work of the LGBTQ+ Center directly affecting WVU. Want to schedule a LGBTQ+ Center classroom presentation? Faculty may invite LGBTQ+ Center graduate assistants, at least three weeks in advance, to come to your classroom to give a 45 minute (maximum) presentation. 

Email the LGBTQ+ Center to inquire about our Classroom Presentation

administrator

To be a more inclusive administrator, learn how to recruit LGBTQ+ talent, how to provide LGBTQ+ affirming mentorship, and create LGBTQ+ affinity groups in the workplace. This 1 hour training is designed for WVU chairs, deans, and directors. Our team eagerly welcomes all WVU administrators to schedule and attend one or more of these trainings.  

Email the LGBTQ+ Center to inquire about our Administrator Safe Zone Trainings

educator

In this interactive training, a facilitator will demonstrate the different ways faculty and instructors working within WVU can provide a 
comprehensive classroom experience, and set an inclusive tone from day one. In this 1 hour session, learn how to manage conversations in the classroom, and model respectful disagreement. Our team can't wait to meet you. 

Email the LGBTQ+ Center to inquire about our Educator Safe Zone Trainings


Not WVU affiliated? Request a Safe Zone Training

If you would like to inquire about a Safe Zone training for your external organization, group or school, please contact us at lgbtq@mail.wvu.edu.

Do you want to become a Faculty Fellow?

As a Faculty Fellow you will help facilitate Safe Zone trainings across the WVU campus. If you would like to inquire about becoming a Faculty Fellow, please contact us at lgbtq@mail.wvu.edu.