4 Spots for a Safe Space Sticker

GLSEN Safe Space stickers signal that a space is welcoming, supportive and safe for all identities. At school, these stickers allow educators to mark that they are allies to LGBT youth. Where can allies make their mark?

1. The Classroom

For many LGBT students, school is a hostile place. According to the most recent GLSEN National School Climate Survey (NSCS), nearly three-quarters of LGBT students were verbally harassed at school because of their sexual orientation and over half because of their gender expression. Due to feeling unsafe or uncomfortable, three in 10 LGBT students missed at least one day of school in the past month.

But educators can chip away at students’ distress by displaying their allyship front and center: on the classroom door, the window, or the board.

2. A Lanyard

Given the negative school climate that persists for many students, allyship to LGBT youth should go beyond classroom walls. Educators can stick a Safe Space sticker to the back of their ID badge, signaling their allyship as they walk through the hallways and cafeteria, too.  

3. The Locker Room

For LGBT youth, an especially hostile place is the locker room. GLSEN’s most recent NSCS revealed that over a third of LGBT students avoided this space because of feeling unsafe or uncomfortable. A Safe Space sticker on the office door of a coach or P.E. instructor can help assure LGBT students that their locker room isn’t a space to avoid.

4. An Email Signature

Safe Space stickers are digital, too. Including an image of a Safe Space sticker in an email signature is a bold statement of allyship both inside and outside school grounds.

The possibilities for sticker spots don’t end here. Educators can attach Safe Space stickers to their mobile phones, notebooks or clipboards. Educators can also distribute stickers to fellow staff and students for their own school supplies and other belongings.

Whether worn on a lanyard or attached to an email signature, Safe Space stickers are critical to assuring safe and affirming schools for all students. In fact, according to GLSEN’s most recent NSCS, LGBT students who saw a Safe Space sticker or poster were more likely to have had a positive or helpful conversation with staff about LGBT issues in the past year. 

This back-to-school season, GLSEN is giving away 2,000 Safe Space Kits for free. Safe Space Kits provide educators all the necessary tools for effective allyship, including Safe Space stickers and a poster, plus an educator guide for being a better ally to LGBT students. To receive a complimentary Safe Space Kit—for yourself, or to give to an educator—fill out this form. Be sure to share the form on Facebook and Twitter to help make spaces safer and more affirming for all.