Can someone explain to me ?

[LIPTON BASH]

What is a safe space ?

[Jesse James]

Here is the wiki definition:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe-space

[LIPTON BASH]

Here is the wiki definition:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe-space

 

I honestly can't believe students want these on college campuses. So somewhere where only like minded individuals can discuss ideas. Create a club and have private meetings. If you protest in public you have no right to a safe space.

[InItToWinIt]

Almost every professor at my school has a "Safe Space" sign on their office doors that says "This is a safe space for LBGT students." I always want to ask them if it is safe for me too.

[B-Ball-fan]

Bet that it's no surprise to anyone that I might have a take on this subject...

 

From past experience, trying to relate to some here how suffocating it can be, or has been for a gay persons to try live in this world amongst a largely unaccecting society, I don't expect the knee-jerk anti-gay agenda filled audience here to stop for a minute to give my words some thought, but to rather pick apart what I say with responses that continue to advance myth and misunderstanding, but here goes anyhow.

 

If some here are too young to comprehend what the past temperature of society was regarding gays then that might be understandable, and if you truly want to know, I'll attempt at offering some fresh thoughts for you to ponder.

 

If one has not walked in certain shoes that is also understandable, for they might not completely understand how some might feel in this world who have had a different experience.

 

LB started this thread probably when he was signing off for the night "seemingly" hoping for an explanation, and with his first sip of coffee this morning was eager to shoot down the first glimpse of insight provided proving that his initial intent wasn't at all sincere, and just another excuse to display and further his misguided objections.

 

Though some more outwardly gays might demonstrate or protest in public, which is certainly their right, it's highly shortsighted to blanket state and to assume that all do, and that everyone over the years who have taken advantage of a "safe space" is out to the public in that fashion.

 

Although we now live in times that "can" offer gays etc... a more accepting and understanding temperature, the past hasn't always been so friendly and accepting, and as demonstrated here, at times still isn't.

 

As the wiki link states, this program began in 1989, which although at that time when society was beginning to hint at opening up and becoming more understanding , was still too soon for gays to feel safe just being themselves and speaking freely in mixed company.

 

One thing that is helpful to a closeted gay while just coming out, or considering coming out is to be able to speak with others having a similar experience so as to identify with someone to help lift the weight off of their shoulders, or to accepting straights friends who can offer confidence to a fresh out of the closet gay that the world isn't completely threatening, unfriendly, or ignorant.

 

I've known many straights in my life who just "got it" without having to have it explained to them, and sometimes even more so than just being around gays, these type of clear headed accepting type straight people have a world of impact on a gay feeling a sense of joy about life and a feeling that they can just blend in with the real world, and that they don't completely have to isolate themselves strictly with only gay friends.

 

Whereas straights have forever, and certainly should, have been free without thought, concern, or worry to relate to their friends on campus, and let their hair down to say just about anything in mixed company, gays have not always felt this carefree freedom because knowing that they might receive objection, ridicule, mockery or abandonment, they have had to always be on guard to weigh their words carefully to avoid drawing attention to themselves and these sort of reactions.

 

By having a "safe space" on campus it allowed them to feel a sense of fresh air where they can breath easy somewhere throughout their day and allow the weight to be lifted for awhile before having to go back out among the general public where they'll again have to be more reserved.

 

With the "safe spaces" primarily being frequented by gay college aged students, it's not too hard to imagine that if there were any gays on campus more inclined to promote demonstrations and supporting their cause, that this is where some of that organized stuff evolved, and that other gays either stepped forward with them, while others were just content on having a place to go to relate to friends, and have the pressure taken off for awhile.

 

With Universities having many gay professors it is also a place that gay kids just starting out in their adult lives can have someone to look up to that could give them words of wisdom, confidence, and help them see that no matter how cold the world can be, with at least a little support from a few close friends and some self confidence, they can be selective in their lives with their associations (while as a child they weren't always free to), and follow their dreams and goals and succeed in life, and not be stifled by their fears, and as they age they can feel a sense of confidence that a happy existence is in reach. Someone who could assure them that it gets better when you are strong enough to take hold of your own life.

 

Thankfully things might be changing with acceptance in this world, and maybe to the degree that "safe spaces" aren't terribly necessary, but in the past it's not a far stretch to imagine Joe Jock or Mike Meathead on campus spouting off and making fun of someone who was gay for the effect of fulfilling his ego. I'm guessing that even the meat heads that still exist on campuses today are aware that they instantly standout as an ignorant goof ball to others and think twice about acting up, whereas years ago they were often applauded for making smart alec ignorant comments.

 

If you were a loving accepting parent with a gay child attending a university where they might be subjected to bullying for being gay, I'm guessing that you would welcome the idea that they had a place to go on campus to regularly feel safe and avoid it.

 

Again these days these "safe spaces" are likely less and less necessary, and thankfully so, and I would hope kids eventually don't feel the need for them, and that they can just move about on campus making friends with others no matter their sexual orientation, and just feel accepted as another valid human being in the real world.

[bballfamily]

Safe spaces are just places for individuals who do not have the fortitude to face a tough and sometimes cruel world.

[LIPTON BASH]

Bet that it's no surprise to anyone that I might have a take on this subject...

 

From past experience, trying to relate to some here how suffocating it can be, or has been for a gay persons to try live in this world amongst a largely unaccecting society, I don't expect the knee-jerk anti-gay agenda filled audience here to stop for a minute to give my words some thought, but to rather pick apart what I say with responses that continue to advance myth and misunderstanding, but here goes anyhow.

 

If some here are too young to comprehend what the past temperature of society was regarding gays then that might be understandable, and if you truly want to know, I'll attempt at offering some fresh thoughts for you to ponder.

 

If one has not walked in certain shoes that is also understandable, for they might not completely understand how some might feel in this world who have had a different experience.

 

LB started this thread probably when he was signing off for the night "seemingly" hoping for an explanation, and with his first sip of coffee this morning was eager to shoot down the first glimpse of insight provided proving that his initial intent wasn't at all sincere, and just another excuse to display and further his misguided objections.

 

Though some more outwardly gays might demonstrate or protest in public, which is certainly their right, it's highly shortsighted to blanket state and to assume that all do, and that everyone over the years who have taken advantage of a "safe space" is out to the public in that fashion.

 

Although we now live in times that "can" offer gays etc... a more accepting and understanding temperature, the past hasn't always been so friendly and accepting, and as demonstrated here, at times still isn't.

 

As the wiki link states, this program began in 1989, which although at that time when society was beginning to hint at opening up and becoming more understanding , was still too soon for gays to feel safe just being themselves and speaking freely in mixed company.

 

One thing that is helpful to a closeted gay while just coming out, or considering coming out is to be able to speak with others having a similar experience so as to identify with someone to help lift the weight off of their shoulders, or to accepting straights friends who can offer confidence to a fresh out of the closet gay that the world isn't completely threatening, unfriendly, or ignorant.

 

I've known many straights in my life who just "got it" without having to have it explained to them, and sometimes even more so than just being around gays, these type of clear headed accepting type straight people have a world of impact on a gay feeling a sense of joy about life and a feeling that they can just blend in with the real world, and that they don't completely have to isolate themselves strictly with only gay friends.

 

Whereas straights have forever, and certainly should, have been free without thought, concern, or worry to relate to their friends on campus, and let their hair down to say just about anything in mixed company, gays have not always felt this carefree freedom because knowing that they might receive objection, ridicule, mockery or abandonment, they have had to always be on guard to weigh their words carefully to avoid drawing attention to themselves and these sort of reactions.

 

By having a "safe space" on campus it allowed them to feel a sense of fresh air where they can breath easy somewhere throughout their day and allow the weight to be lifted for awhile before having to go back out among the general public where they'll again have to be more reserved.

 

With the "safe spaces" primarily being frequented by gay college aged students, it's not too hard to imagine that if there were any gays on campus more inclined to promote demonstrations and supporting their cause, that this is where some of that organized stuff evolved, and that other gays either stepped forward with them, while others were just content on having a place to go to relate to friends, and have the pressure taken off for awhile.

 

With Universities having many gay professors it is also a place that gay kids just starting out in their adult lives can have someone to look up to that could give them words of wisdom, confidence, and help them see that no matter how cold the world can be, with at least a little support from a few close friends and some self confidence, they can be selective in their lives with their associations (while as a child they weren't always free to), and follow their dreams and goals and succeed in life, and not be stifled by their fears, and as they age they can feel a sense of confidence that a happy existence is in reach. Someone who could assure them that it gets better when you are strong enough to take hold of your own life.

 

Thankfully things might be changing with acceptance in this world, and maybe to the degree that "safe spaces" aren't terribly necessary, but in the past it's not a far stretch to imagine Joe Jock or Mike Meathead on campus spouting off and making fun of someone who was gay for the effect of fulfilling his ego. I'm guessing that even the meat heads that still exist on campuses today are aware that they instantly standout as an ignorant goof ball to others and think twice about acting up, whereas years ago they were often applauded for making smart alec ignorant comments.

 

If you were a loving accepting parent with a gay child attending a university where they might be subjected to bullying for being gay, I'm guessing that you would welcome the idea that they had a place to go on campus to regularly feel safe and avoid it.

 

Again these days these "safe spaces" are likely less and less necessary, and thankfully so, and I would hope kids eventually don't feel the need for them, and that they can just move about on campus making friends with others no matter their sexual orientation, and just feel accepted as another valid human being in the real world.

 

Again I never complained about a safe place behind closed doors or a private group. My complaint is when you demand a safe space in a public square as if your point of view or feelings somehow hold a greater standing than the opposing view point. That is anti critical thinking which HS always in my mind been the point of college.

 

You don't have a right not to be offended , or challenged on your viewpoint. Even more so when you are protesting or preaching it in public.

[B-Ball-fan]

Safe spaces are just places for individuals who do not have the fortitude to face a tough and sometimes cruel world.

 

There's no doubt that anyone no matter their sexual orientation must learn to face and deal with whatever obstacles that this world presents to them, and it's valuable for anyone gay or straight, and especially college aged kids, to have a some kind of support system, be it family, friends, or counselors, to hold it all together while they're navigating through this life and entering their newly adult life trying to fulfill their dreams and goals.

 

As I had mentioned, I do hope that a more accepting world today lessons the need for anyone to feel that a safe space is necessary, but in the not too distant past there was a world of difference in the magnitude of how those obstacles were quite out of balance for a straight kid versus a gay kid.

 

It's hard enough just being a college student to begin with, but the added pressure of being ostracized and discriminated for being gay has for many created higher unnecessary walls to climb making the journey all that much more a challenge.

 

When safe spaces first began it had its merits to help to bring balance to those experiencing these added pressures, that straight kids were not experiencing, to offer much needed support to help many overcome these challenges that often presented a stifling effect on them while trying to achieve their goals.

 

It was a gesture from universities to help and to say to confused gay kids that they were accepted there even when society at large, or other students didn't always make them feel that way.

 

Starting the program was a way for universities to say that sound mature rational intentions were at play amidst an often sophomoric misunderstanding society, letting gay students feel confident that leaders of the institutions understood even while many others in society did not.

 

In general, gays just mostly want to be treated as equals and are not looking for special treatment, and though this program might be viewed as such by those who don't quite understand the huge disparity that many have experienced for being different in their orientation, It has helped bridge the out of balance gap while waiting for the world to come around.

 

Thankfully we are seeing great signs that the world is, and this program will likely begin to fade, but in the mean time over the last 25 or so years it has likely offered many pluses to those who might've given up to escape the extra pressures, or even end their life because they couldn't take it anymore.

 

We really don't know the number of high school and college aged gay kids who have committed suicide because it's likely that many of them took their lives before ever telling anyone that they were.

 

I've no doubt that many have been saved from that because they were offered avenues of support to help them get through their younger years with more confidence than others no so lucky to be given a hand and an understanding ear to help them face the challenges.

 

It might be easy for some to write safe spaces off as something needed for the weak willed, but if one has a clearer understanding of its intent and the vast different pressures a gay kid experiences, then they might be able to see that it has been an added support, and has made a world of difference for often intelligent talented youngsters who needed the boost to help advance their lives.

 

While we now see a more accepting world, and though I would like to forget that it always hasn't been, It would be way too convenient for today's world to say to gays, "What are you crying about?" and act as if they don't recognize that it is only just been recently after centuries of various forms of discrimination from the mild to the extreme that gays can finally now feel a sense of acceptance from a larger portion of society along with a sense of freedom.

 

It's programs on college campuses like safe spaces that have helped our society move further into having a more acceptant nature, and ultimately that is not just a plus for gays but also for society as a whole.

[B-Ball-fan]

Again I never complained about a safe place behind closed doors or a private group. My complaint is when you demand a safe space in a public square as if your point of view or feelings somehow hold a greater standing than the opposing view point. That is anti critical thinking which HS always in my mind been the point of college.

 

You don't have a right not to be offended , or challenged on your viewpoint. Even more so when you are protesting or preaching it in public.

 

Speaking of critical thinking I was wondering if you think that left handedness is a sign of the devil or are you on board yet that this idea is ridiculous? You might already be aware that there was a time that some thought this to be true.

 

Back in the 30's as a child, my Mother being left handed had her left hand tied to her desk forcing her to write with her right hand, and had her knuckles cracked with a ruler if she tried to resist.

 

New York Mets left handed 2nd baseman and known vocally outward christian stated that he disagreed with the "gay lifestyle". I wonder if he's aware of the past view of being left handed and how he'd feel if someone said to him that they "disagreed" with him being left handed?

 

In my other two posts I laid out in rational detail the benefits that safe spaces have offered. Obviously I believe that the ends have justified the means for its existence.

 

What exactly is fueling your complaint?

 

If being gay was a belief system then I would agree with you, but it is not, and though many for years have tried to indicate that it is a choice, it indeed is not.

 

A college campus claiming to be a place to advance intelligence holds some responsibility in aiding its budding critical thinkers to see things for what they are, and not as myth.

 

I would suspect that while some are content with staying misinformed, having these type programs have helped many others learn to see reality more clearly to go on to be more stable mature rational thinking adults.

 

Gayness is not an opinion, yet a real facet of humanity, and while these programs aim to offer a safe haven for those who feel they could use the support, it has also by its presence offered many others a chance to observe reality in an environment aiming to help advance their intelligence.

 

Again, I believe that the ends justify the means, and if you feel that your complaint holds much water, you are most certainly free to think so.

[LIPTON BASH]

Speaking of critical thinking I was wondering if you think that left handedness is a sign of the devil or are you on board yet that this idea is ridiculous? You might already be aware that there was a time that some thought this to be true.

 

Back in the 30's as a child, my Mother being left handed had her left hand tied to her desk forcing her to write with her right hand, and had her knuckles cracked with a ruler if she tried to resist.

 

New York Mets left handed 2nd baseman and known vocally outward christian stated that he disagreed with the "gay lifestyle". I wonder if he's aware of the past view of being left handed and how he'd feel if someone said to him that they "disagreed" with him being left handed?

 

In my other two posts I laid out in rational detail the benefits that safe spaces have offered. Obviously I believe that the ends have justified the means for its existence.

 

What exactly is fueling your complaint?

 

If being gay was a belief system then I would agree with you, but it is not, and though many for years have tried to indicate that it is a choice, it indeed is not.

 

A college campus claiming to be a place to advance intelligence holds some responsibility in aiding its budding critical thinkers to see things for what they are, and not as myth.

 

I would suspect that while some are content with staying misinformed, having these type programs have helped many others learn to see reality more clearly to go on to be more stable mature rational thinking adults.

 

Gayness is not an opinion, yet a real facet of humanity, and while these programs aim to offer a safe haven for those who feel they could use the support, it has also by its presence offered many others a chance to observe reality in an environment aiming to help advance their intelligence.

 

Again, I believe that the ends justify the means, and if you feel that your complaint holds much water, you are most certainly free to think so.

 

Are you having trouble reading ? Honest question . You are going on detailed rants that have nothing to do with what I posted.

[B-Ball-fan]

Are you having trouble reading ? Honest question . You are going on detailed rants that have nothing to do with what I posted.

 

What I have posted in my entire body of postings in this thread is solid rationality and an attempt to give an explanation to your initial question.

 

I tried to make head or tails of what you're going on about, but am having trouble grasping what your fuss is about.

 

I read your post time and time again, but failed to see clearly what your gripe is as it came across to me with a loose foundation for what I assume you consider to be a solid rational foundation of thought.

 

I've presented numerous realistic points of information to support justification for the safe space program, and am waiting for you give rational justification for your objections that give merit to your reasons for making a case against it.

 

As of now it comes across as simply whining as if anyone has been damaged in the process of so many benefitting from it to avoid being damaged. Who has it hurt while in the bigger picture it has helped so many?

[LIPTON BASH]

What I have posted in my entire body of postings in this thread is solid rationality and an attempt to give an explanation to your initial question.

 

I tried to make head or tails of what you're going on about, but am having trouble grasping what your fuss is about.

 

I read your post time and time again, but failed to see clearly what your gripe is as it came across to me with a loose foundation for what I assume you consider to be a solid rational foundation of thought.

 

I've presented numerous realistic points of information to support justification for the safe space program, and am waiting for you give rational justification for your objections that give merit to your reasons for making a case against it.

 

As of now it comes across as simply whining as if anyone has been damaged in the process of so many benefitting from it to avoid being damaged. Who has it hurt while in the bigger picture it has helped so many?

 

It's pretty obvious we are talking about current events. Where protests are being held in public square , in areas deemed public and free speech areas. Then these protestors demand a safe space in a public square where no reporters can go or opposing view points.

 

You are discussing something entirely different and going on a rant about something that doesn't tie into demanding a shield when you are protesting in a public square.

 

You are attacking me as if I'm anti LGBT when if you know my posting history couldn't be further from the truth and was a strong supporter of gay marriage. This has to do entirely with college students who want to be sheltered from the real world.

[B-Ball-fan]

It's pretty obvious we are talking about current events. Where protests are being held in public square , in areas deemed public and free speech areas. Then these protestors demand a safe space in a public square where no reporters can go or opposing view points.

 

You are discussing something entirely different and going on a rant about something that doesn't tie into demanding a shield when you are protesting in a public square.

 

You are attacking me as if I'm anti LGBT when if you know my posting history couldn't be further from the truth and was a strong supporter of gay marriage. This has to do entirely with college students who want to be sheltered from the real world.

 

Pardon my lack of knowledge of the matter of which you speak, but I am unfamiliar with the situation that you have described.

 

So that I may get up to speed on what you're talking about can you give reference to it so that I can fully become aware of the current events that you are referring to?

 

You started the thread questioning the program, but provided no background reference for your initial question or objections, and as of now the events of which you speak are vague to me. Perhaps there is a story in the news that everyone is privy to that I have missed, so presently I'm unaware of what situation you are talking about.

[Jesse James]

California college newspaper creating 'safe space' for minority students | Fox News

[LIPTON BASH]

Pardon my lack of knowledge of the matter of which you speak, but I am unfamiliar with the situation that you have described.

 

So that I may get up to speed on what you're talking about can you give reference to it so that I can fully become aware of the current events that you are referring to?

 

You started the thread questioning the program, but provided no background reference for your initial question or objections, and as of now the events of which you speak are vague to me. Perhaps there is a story in the news that everyone is privy to that I have missed, so presently I'm unaware of what situation you are talking about.

 

Basically every college protest that has been dominating the news cycle for the last two weeks.

 

For example in Missouri they were protest in a open public space and forcibly removed student journalist because the public square was their "safe space".