LGBTQ Safe Space Training
Safe Space Training educates allies who support LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) individuals in the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine community. The online training is open to students, trainees, faculty and staff.
Unlike more visible marginalized groups, LGBTQ people are not always readily identified. Likewise, there is no easy method to find people who are supportive of LGBTQ people. The LGBTQ Safe Space Training program strives to give allies at Feinberg a way to prominently identify themselves. The program advances Northwestern’s goal of creating a campus community in which everyone is treated with respect and dignity.
What is a Safe Space?
A safe space is an environment of tolerance and mutual respect. It does not protect community members from dissenting viewpoints or difficult conversations. This training effort aims to make the entire Feinberg community a safe space, not to create a separate safe space for LGBTQ individuals.
Learning Objectives
After completing Safe Space Training, participants will be able to:
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of terms used to describe sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Describe how LGBTQ world experiences require all Feinberg community members to actively create a safe space.
- Apply skills to create a safe learning environment for members of the LGBTQ community.
The online module takes approximately 25 minutes.
The module has been expanding and updating through a partnership between the Feinberg Office of Diversity & Inclusion, LGBTQ+ Alliance student group, Gender & Sexuality Curriculum Taskforce and Department of Medical Education.
NOTE: Safe Space Training does not currently present topics or skills directly related to caring for LGBTQ patients.