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| FAQs | Definitions | LGBT Symbols | Myths & Facts | Topics | Manual
What is Safe Zone?
Safe Zone is a program at UM-St. Louis which identifies and trains faculty,
staff, and students who are aware and affirmative about Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) issues. After completing the initial
training, all Safe Zone participants receive a symbol which identifies
them as being supportive points of contact for others on campus with
questions related to sexual orientation.
Why do we need this program at UM-St. Louis?
UM-St. Louis is a campus that values and celebrates diversity. Sexual
orientation is but one part of the diversity found on this campus. Safe
Zone provides a tangible way of letting sexual minority students, faculty,
and staff know that they are welcome at UM-St. Louis. The Safe Zone
symbol allows for easy identification of persons who are willing to
discuss sexual orientation issues in a supportive and non-judgmental
manner. Safe Zone participants also offer a positive and affirmative
message about sexual diversity in response to societal homophobia.
What does it mean when I see a Safe Zone sticker
on campus?
A Safe Zone sticker indicates that the person displaying it is open
to hearing questions and providing information about LGBT issues. Safe
Zone participants come from a variety of backgrounds, but tend to have
the following qualities in common:
- A belief that this campus is enriched and enlivened by the diversity of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.
- A willingness to engage in genuine dialogue and interaction around the topic of sexual orientation.
- An openness to listen and to assist with accessing support and informational resources on campus and in the community.
- A willingness to maintain confidentiality within the confines of one's job.
- The use of inclusive language, avoiding stereotyping, and not assuming heterosexuality.
I'm interested in talking to a Safe Zone participant.
How can I find one on campus?
Participants are identified by a sticker or button with the Safe Zone
logo. Many have also agreed to have their contact information posted
on this website. Click here for an alphabetical
listing of Safe Zone participants, and here to see participants
listed by campus office.
Is a Safe Zone meeting the same as a counseling
session?
No. Safe Zone does not train participants in providing personal counseling.
SZ participants can provide information and resources, but most are
not professional counselors. UM-St. Louis students who wish to discuss
their personal concerns with a counselor can contact UM-St.
Louis Counseling Services .
I'm interested in becoming a Safe Zone participant. How can
I get involved?
The first step is to register for a Safe Zone training session.
The training lasts for 3 hours, and is an interactive program designed
to enhance awareness of LGBT issues and experiences. Training sessions
are open to all interested students, faculty, and staff at UM-St. Louis.
Those interested may register for a training session by emailing Jamie
Linsin or by calling him at 516-5711.
(Portions of the information on this page were adapted from a publication of the VACUHO Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Issues Task Force.)
Ally
A person (typically heterosexual) who identifies her/himself as being
openly supportive of LGBT persons and issues.
Androgynous
A term that generally refers to a combination of both masculine and
feminine qualities.
Bisexual
A person who is emotionally/ romantically/ physically attracted to both
men and women.
Butch
A slang term used to refer to a person (often to a female) who is masculine
in appearance.
Closeted
The opposite of being “out,” being closeted means taking
steps to ensure that a person or group of people does not know one’s
sexual identity, or erroneously presumes one to be heterosexual. Because
of repressive laws, discrimination in employment and housing, violence
and harassment, and other kinds of oppression and abuse, most non-heterosexual
people elect to closet themselves at some points in their lives or with
some groups of people all their lives.
Coming Out
This phrase refers to the act of acknowledging one’s sexual orientation
or identity (e.g. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered.) “Coming
out” can occur privately, to oneself, or publicly, to another
person or group of people.
Crossdresser
A person who enjoys wearing clothing typically associated with the opposite
sex. See also “Transvestite.”
Drag King
A woman who presents herself as a man (or with a combination
of male and female attributes), either on- or off-stage. Drag King performers
may display exaggerated or stereotypically "male" attitudes
as part of their act.
Drag Queen
A man (usually gay) who dresses up as a woman, sometimes as part of
a drag show performance.
Femme
A slang term used to refer to a person (often to a female) who is feminine
in appearance.
Gay
A term used to refer to a man who is emotionally/ romantically/ physically
attracted to men. Also used as a general term for persons attracted
to the same sex.
Gay Pride
This is a common name for celebration commemorating the Stonewall riots.
In most cities (including St. Louis), Gay Pride is held in June. Activities
usually include a parade, booths, speakers, workshops, picnics, and
musical entertainment.
Gender Identity
A person’s view of his or her social/ interpersonal self as male,
female, or a combination of the two.
Hate Crime
Assault, rape, arson, and murder are crimes under any circumstance,
but when the victim of such a crime is chosen simply because of his
or her affiliation with a minority group, the FBI considers the crime
a “hate crime.” In some states, hate crimes carry an additional
penalty beyond the standard penalty for assault, murder, etc. Missouri’s
hate crimes protections cover those who are victimized on the basis
of their sexual orientation.
Heterosexism
Sometimes, even if individual people are not bigots or homophobes, institutions
and cultural norms may still be discriminatory or even oppressive by
favoring heterosexual people at the expense of non-heterosexual people.
Such institutions and norms are heterosexist, and people who do not
protest against them or resist them may also be said to be heterosexist.
Homophobia
The fear of homosexuality, LGBT persons, and of all things associated
with being a sexual minority. Some people who experience homophobia
simply avoid gay and lesbian people, places, events, and topics of conversation;
others actively abuse non-heterosexual people verbally and physically.
Homosexual
A generic term referring to those attracted to same-sex partners. This
term initially emerged in a (now outdated) context of pathology, and
is viewed as derogatory by many gay men, lesbians, bisexual persons,
and allies.
Intersex Person
This term is most commonly used to describe a person who displays physical/sexual
characteristics of both genders, either at birth or during the process
of sex reassignment surgery. In the latter case, the phrase “transsexual
in transition” is sometimes used.
LGBTQQI
An abbreviation sometimes found in references to sexual minorities.
The letters stand for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning,
and Intersex. Other combinations of letters are also used, including
LGBT and GLBT.
Lesbian
A woman who is emotionally/ romantically/ physically attracted to women.
Outing
To “out” someone is to declare their sexual orientation/identity
publicly, without their permission.
PFLAG
An acronym for the national organization Parents, Families, and Friends
of Lesbians and Gays.
Queer
Originally a derogatory term (and still viewed as such by some people),
this term is sometimes used by non-heterosexual persons who wish to
describe their sexual orientation using an alternative to the standard
labels (gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc.)
Questioning
Refers to an individual who is in the process of learning about their
sexual/ affectional orientation, and who may not yet have incorporated
a specific view of themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, heterosexual,
etc.
Sexual Identity
A person’s view of him/herself as being physiologically male,
female, or a combination of the two.
Sexual Orientation
One’s emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attraction- either to
same-sex, opposite-sex, or both-sex partners.
Stonewall
On June 28, 1969, New York City police attempted a routine raid on the
Stonewall Inn, a working class gay and lesbian bar in Greenwich Village.
Unexpectedly, the patrons resisted, and the incident escalated into
a riot that continued for several days. Most people look to this event
as the beginning of the American Gay Liberation Movement and all subsequent
LGBT movements.
Transgendered Person
A broad term used to describe individuals who view their gender differently
from the gender which they were assigned at birth. The term is sometimes
applied to more specific groups, including transvestites, transsexuals,
and androgynous individuals. Many transgendered people have heterosexual
identities, but since both the legal system and the general public tend
to discriminate against them in ways similar to the discrimination against
other sexual minorities, many work with lesbian, gay, and bisexual organizations,
and many of these organizations have enlarged their mission statements
to include transgendered persons.
Transsexual
A person who identifies as being of the opposite sex from the anatomical
sex with which they were born. Some transsexuals choose to undergo surgical
and/or hormonal alterations, so that their external appearance matches
their internal identification. Transsexuals are described according
to the gender with which they identify. Thus, a person who was born
with male genitalia but identifies as being a woman would be called
a transsexual female, or MtF.
Transvestite
A person who enjoys wearing clothing typically associated with the opposite
sex. Most but not all transvestites are heterosexual.
Myths and Facts about Sexual
Orientation
[Please note that the following information is adapted (with a few revisions)
with the kind permission of the Counseling Services office of the State
University of New York at Buffalo. It is taken from the self-help section
of their website: http://ub-counseling.buffalo.edu/orient.shtml].
Introduction
Does being "different" sound like a positive or a negative
experience to you? For LGB (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual) persons, daily living
can be a frustrating and painful experience in our society. Because
they are different in their sexual orientation, LGB persons have been
oppressed. They suffer social, religious, economic, political and legal
discrimination. Much of this discrimination is based on the myths people
believe about those who do not identify as heterosexual. For LGB persons
to be treated equally in our society, we need to dispel these myths.
What is most needed is the elimination of the irrational fear and hatred
some people have for intimate, same-sex relationships. This irrational
fear and hatred is called homophobia.
Myth #1
It's OK to call LGB persons names like "queer," "faggot,"
and "dyke" because they are "deviant."
Fact: A gay man or lesbian is someone whose primary
sexual and affectional preference is for a member of his or her own
sex. This is different from the statistical norm, but difference does
not equal deviance. If it did, blue-eyed people and left-handed people
- who are also in the statistical minority - would be considered deviant.
Male homosexuals generally prefer to be called "gay," while
female homosexuals generally prefer to be called "lesbian,"
although the term "gay" is often acceptable for both sexes.
To be called "queer," “faggot" or "dyke"
is derogatory and insulting. [Note that some people within the LGB community
have adopted the word “queer” to describe their non-heterosexual
orientation. For some in the community, this term is used as a political
statement.]
Myth #2
LGB persons are mentally ill.
Fact: Homosexuality is considered normal in most of
the world's cultures. In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association
removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders and declared
that homosexuality is as healthy as heterosexuality. Like anyone else,
however, LGB persons can become maladjusted when they are treated with
hostility.
Myth #3
LGB persons are not "normal."
Fact: Sexual behavior and orientation exist along a
continuum that ranges from people who are exclusively attracted to members
of the same sex, to people who are equally attracted to members of both
sexes, to people who are exclusively attracted to members of the opposite
sex. All are normal.
Myth #4
LGB persons are few in number and "hide out" in careers like
theater, interior design and cosmetology.
Fact: A generally accepted statistic is that approximately
one in 10 persons is gay or lesbian. Gay men, lesbian women, and bisexuals
are found in all walks of life and in all professions. For example,
consider the following professional associations: the National Lawyers
Guild Gay Caucus, the Association of Gay Psychologists, the Gay Nurses
Association, the Association of Gay Seminarians and Clergy, the Gay
Airline Pilots Association, and the Gay Prize Fighters of America Association,
to name but a few.
Myth #5
Gay men like to dress as women; gay men wish they were women and lesbians
wish they were men.
Fact: Gay men and lesbians, for the most part, are
comfortable with their identities as men and women and have no desire
to change their sex. Some gay men dress up as women (e.g. for drag shows.)
Many men who enjoy dressing up in women’s clothing (transvestites)
are heterosexual.
Myth #6
LGB persons are a menace to children.
Fact: The overwhelming majority of child molestation
cases – 90 to 95 percent - involve heterosexual men and are committed
against females under the age of 18.
Myth #7
LGB persons are promiscuous.
Fact: LGB persons are neither more nor less sexually
promiscuous than heterosexuals. Like heterosexuals, many gay men and
lesbians are involved in monogamous relationships, considering themselves
partners and committed to each other for life. Some gay men and lesbians
may also choose to remain celibate, and others may have multiple partners,
just as some heterosexuals do.
Myth #8
Parents cause their children to become gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
Fact: Reasons that a particular sexual orientation
develops are unknown. Current research indicates that it is a very complex
matter that involves both biological and environmental influences. Just
as we cannot explain what makes some people heterosexual, we do not
understand what makes other people gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
Myth #9
If a gay man or lesbian could just meet the "right" member
of the opposite sex, then he or she could fall in love and be "cured."
Fact: Many gay men and lesbians have dated members
of the opposite sex but find it more fulfilling to date members of their
own sex. Most LGB persons have no desire to change their sexual orientation.
Those who do are usually reacting to negative societal attitudes toward
homosexuality.
Myth #10
If a friend tells you he or she is gay, lesbian, or bisexual, then that
friend is coming on to you.
Fact: Being gay involves more than a person's sexual
activity. When friends "come out" (reveal their sexual orientation)
to you, they are essentially inviting you to know them as whole people.
If a gay, lesbian, or bisexual person chooses to come out to you, then
that person has decided to share part of his or her identity with you.
Such a disclosure means only that this friend trusts you, not that he
or she would like to become sexually involved with you.
Myth #11
If you have friends who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual, that must mean
you are also gay.
Fact: Liking or loving someone who is gay, lesbian,
or bisexual does not make you gay any more than liking someone who is
Catholic or Jewish makes you Catholic or Jewish.
Myth #12
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a gay disease.
Fact: AIDS is caused by a virus. Viruses infect all
kinds of people, regardless of their sexual orientation. Worldwide,
the majority of HIV transmission occurs through heterosexual contact.
AIDS is spread through the exchange of bodily fluids, such as blood,
semen and breast milk. Some people have contracted AIDS from sharing
intravenous needles. While AIDS has been contracted by a large number
of gay men in the United States, it has also been contracted by heterosexual
men and women as well as and children and even infants. Associating
with gays does not mean you will get AIDS. For further information about
AIDS, contact the National Gay Task Force Hotline (1-800-221-7044) or
the National AIDS hotline (1-800-342-AIDS.)
[The above is taken from information written by Counseling
Services, State University of New York at Buffalo. Special thanks
to Dr. David Gilles-Thomas.]
Some additional Myths and Facts…
Myth: Sexual orientation can be changed.
Fact: Research has shown that one’s sexual orientation
cannot be changed. While it is possible for persons (of any sexual orientation)
to change their behaviors, e.g. by choosing to act or not act on their
sexual feelings, one’s underlying orientation remains constant.
For more information, see
http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbc/publications/justthefacts.html or
http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/answers.html#cantherapychange
Myth: Gay men and lesbian women are unfit to be parents.
Fact: Research has shown that the available data do
not support negative stereotypes about same-sex parents. For example,
children raised by gay or lesbian parents are not more likely to be
gay or lesbian themselves, and not more likely to experience problems
in development or in relationships with friends/peers compared to those
with heterosexual parents. For more information on research related
to same-sex parents, please see http://www.apa.org/pi/parent.html or http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/answers.html#goodparents .
Myth: LGB and Ally political organizations are asking
for “special rights.”
Fact: LGB persons want the same rights as heterosexual
Americans, including the right to live and work in an atmosphere free
of discrimination, the right to be protected from violence and harassment,
and the right to form life-long, committed partnerships.
Myth: Gay marriages or civil unions are a threat to
heterosexual marriage.
Fact: There is no evidence to support the belief that
same-sex unions would undermine heterosexual marriages.
Myth: LGB persons should not be schoolteachers, because
they would bring their sexuality into the classroom.
Fact: Sexuality is neither more nor less a central
or defining part of an LGB person’s life than it is for a heterosexual
person. Thus, sexuality would not influence an LGB person’s teaching
any more than it would for one who identifies as heterosexual.
Back to Top
Answers to questions about sexual orientation:
http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/answers.html
Answers to questions about being an ally:
http://multiculturalcenter.osu.edu/Posts/Documents/87_1.pdf
Coming out as LGBT:
http://www.couns.uiuc.edu/brochures/comout.htm
When a friend comes out to you:
http://allies.tamu.edu/resources/comesout.htm
Bisexuality:
http://www.biresource.org/pamphlets/bisexuality.pdf
Gender Identity 101: A Transgender Primer:
http://www.sagatucson.org/downloads/GI101.pdf
LGBT Anti-Racism Info:
http://www.pflag.org/fileadmin/user_upload/An_Open_Letter_12-04.pdf
