The Politics of Safe Space

safe space symbolThis week at my seminary was LGBT Week.  It’s a 10-year-old tradition that has brought a lot of good to our campus, raising awareness and creating a space in which people can talk and share ideas.  I’m proud of my seminary for being open to the possibilities that this week can provide.

I was gone to the AAR annual meeting at the beginning of the week, but when I arrived at work on Wednesday morning, I was greeted by stickers that had been applied to both of the front doors of the library building, declaring the entire building a safe space.  You can click on the image to the right to see the entire text.

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2009 National Equality March

rainbow flag at the U.S. CapitolThis year’s National Coming Out Day was marked by the National Equality March in Washington, DC.  I’ve always missed the marches in the past, so this year I decided to go.  What a great time!

It’s easy to forget that there are lots of LGBT folk (and lots of straight allies too!) around the country.  But standing in the crowds as we began to organize before the march, it was inspiring to look around and see all the different people.

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APA says conversion therapy just doesn’t work

Last week the APA released a new report regarding sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE), more commonly known by some of its more common forms such as conversion therapy, reparative therapy or ex-gay ministries.

The Report of the American Psychological Association Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation looks at a variety of published research findings from the 60’s through 2007 in an effort to evaluate the effectiveness and/or potential harm caused by the programs in question.

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