Embedded Files
Proposal for LGBTQIA+ Safe Space & Study Room at
Elgin Community College
PROPOSAL: Designate a room on Elgin Community College’s Main Campus as a Safe Space & Study Room for LGBTQIA+ students.
REASONS: LGBTQIA+ students should have a place to study without fear of judgement, harassment, or discrimination. While ECC has a zero-tolerance policy, in order to be a leading institution there must be preventative efforts in addition to reactive efforts.
BENEFITS:
- Exhibit ECC's continuous support of its LGBTQIA+ students.
- Provide LGBTQIA+ students with a space to focus on their studies without fear.
- Provide LGBTQIA+ educational materials to ALL students at ECC.
- Provide LGBTQIA+ students who do not have a supportive environment at home with a space on campus where they can feel comfortable, safe, and supported.
- Establish ECC as a leading institution by providing a resource that colleges and universities across the nation are increasingly providing for their LGBTQIA+ population.
WHAT WE WANT:
LGBTQIA+ Campus Safe Space & Study Room
Room specifications:
15’ x 15’ or approximate capacity of 5 to 6 people with COVID-19 social distancing protocol
Space for LGBTQIA+ Educational Materials
White Board attached to wall
No furnishings required (Will be provided by donation/grant)
ECC Foundation RFE Mini-Grant Program
(Provided LGBT grant data coming)
How can we use the funds
What budget line/number do we use to expense funds
Student Life clubs and organizations are already overwhelmed with space, a designated LGBTQIA+ room will relieve SL’s pressures to provide space for the community.
WHAT THE SPACE WILL BE USED FOR:
Studying/Joining students’ online classes
Engaging with other students in the LGBTQIA+ community
Providing campus informational and educational resources (such as Wellness Services information, Tutoring Center information, campus event information, etc.)
SIMILAR SPACES:
Other leading institutions with established LGBTQ+ Safe Spaces, Resource Centers, or similar:
Illinois schools in the Campus Pride Index: https://www.campusprideindex.org/searchresults/display/1579068
Illinois community colleges the Campus Pride Index:
College of Lake County
Kankakee Community College
Richard J. Daley College
Snapshot of Campus LGBTQ+ Centers as of August 1, 2019
Northern Illinois University, Gender and Sexuality Resource Center
University of Illinois Chicago, Gender and Sexuality Center
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, LGBT Resource Center
Northwestern University, Gender and Sexualities Resource Center
Marquette University, LGBTQ+ Resource Center
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, LGBTQ+ Resource Center
NOTABLE STATISTICS:
Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals
2019 GLSEN National School Climate Survey
59.1% of LGBTQ+ students felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation, 42.5% because of their gender expression, and 37.4% because of their gender.
32.7% of LGBTQ+ students missed at least one entire day of school in the past month because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable, 8.6% missed four or more days in the past month.
77.6% reported avoiding school functions and 71.8% reported avoiding extracurricular activities because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable.
98.8% of LGBTQ+ students heard “gay” used in a negative way at school. 75.6% reported hearing these remarks frequently or often, and 91.8% reported that they felt distressed because of this language.
95.2% of LGBTQ+ students heard other types of homophobic remarks (e.g., “dyke” or “faggot”); 54.4% heard this type of language frequently or often.
91.8% of LGBTQ+ students heard negative remarks about gender expression; 53.2% heard these remarks frequently or often.
86.3% of LGBTQ+ students experienced harassment or assault based on personal characteristics, including sexual orientation, gender expression, and gender.
56.6% of LGBTQ+ students who were harassed or assaulted in school did not report the incident to school staff.
LGBTQ+ students who experienced higher levels of victimization based on their sexual orientation or gender expression were nearly three times as likely to have missed school in the past month than those who experienced lower levels.
National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health 2021
42% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth.
Only 1 in 3 LGBTQ youth found their home to be LGBTQ-affirming.
75% of LGBTQ youth reported that they had experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity at least once in their lifetime.
LGBTQ youth who had access to spaces that affirmed their sexual orientation and gender identity reported lower rates of attempting suicide.
LGBTQ youth are four times more likely to seriously consider suicide, to make a plan for suicide, and to attempt suicide versus their peers.
“In fact, the study found that if transgender, gay or lesbian, and bisexual students experienced similar levels of support and safety as other students, disparities in their mental health, academic motivation, and academic performance in school would shrink by half. For transgender students, disparities in school connectedness would disappear completely and for lesbian, gay, and bisexual students, disparities in school connectedness would lessen by 90 to 100 percent.”
“‘Sometimes school might be the only sanctuary for a kid in the otherwise hostile world they find themselves in — whether it’s their home, their faith community, or their neighborhood,’ says Joel Baum, Senior Director of Professional Development for Gender Spectrum, a nonprofit focused on creating gender-inclusive environments for children and teens.”
Campus climate for LGBT people: A national perspective.
“The college or university years can be formative ones for the many students who, in pursuit of knowledge, growth and a higher degree, enter a community devoted to scholarship and education both inside and outside the classroom. Students may be exposed to new ideas that challenge their foundational beliefs. They are tested by significant academic demands, and introduced to people with very different backgrounds and experiences. This can make for an intellectual and emotional experience that is exhilarating, demanding, and even grueling. While these experiences are often positive, some students find that they have unique challenges because of how they are perceived and treated as a result of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Such challenges can prevent gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) students from achieving their full academic potential or participating fully in the campus community. Likewise, other campus community members, including GLBT faculty, staff and administrators, may suffer as a result of the same prejudices, limiting their ability to achieve their career goals and to mentor or support students. The hostile environment that GLBT students, faculty, staff and administrators often experience has been documented in numerous studies since the mid-1980s and in this Campus Climate assessment. Many GLBT campus members find that they must hide significant parts of their identity from peers and others, thereby isolating themselves socially or emotionally. Those who do not hide their sexual orientation or gender identity have a range of experiences including discrimination, verbal or physical harassment, and subtle or outright silencing of their sexual identities. While higher education provides a variety of opportunities for students and others, these are greatly limited for those who fear for their safety when they walk on campus, or feel they must censor themselves in the classroom, or are so distracted by harassing remarks that they are unable to concentrate on their studies, or are fearful every time they walk into a public restroom that they will be told to leave. These are only a few of the many experiences that GLBT campus member have on a regular bases; this report documents many more.”
Rankin, S. (2003). Campus climate for LGBT people: A national perspective. New York: NGLTF Policy Institute.
OTHER RESOURCE LINKS:
https://epgn.com/2018/09/06/community-college-opens-lgbtq-center/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2378023120971472
The Context of Creating Space: Assessing the Likelihood of College LGBT Center Presence
Page updated
Report abuse