Safe Zones

The Counselling and Careers Development Unit, together with the Transformation Office and Wits Pride, will launch the Wits Safe Zones programme in the weeks leading up to Wits Pride.

The programme is aimed at supporting members of the LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender fluid identified, queer, questioning, intersex, ally) community at Wits University and ensuring a campus atmosphere that is supportive, informative and welcoming to all members of the community. The Safe Zones programme aims to provide an accepting and pro-active environment for LGBTQIA students, faculty, staff and administrators and their allies. One of the ways in which it hopes to achieve this objective, is through the training and placement of LGBTQIA allies in all faculties and units of the university, with CCDU at the centre of the ally network.

The goals of the Safe Zones programme are:

• To increase the overall campus community’s understanding and awareness of LGBTQIA issues.
• To provide a greater sense of safety for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender student community.
• To offer information to straight allies in positions where they may be in contact with LGBTQIA people (as classmates, roommates, friends, residents, students, staff, faculty, etc.).
• To act as a resource of information regarding homophobia, heterosexism, transphobia and LGBTQIA issues at Wits.