Ten years ago, I attended a public forum (in-person) at our local university campus in which it was discussed whether or not the campus should have dedicated "safe spaces." One student who was in favor of the idea said that people who didn't think they were necessary could just ignore them and not use them. She gave the example of herself not using the recreation center because she didn't work out. I countered with the idea that it was different because, although she was paying for something on campus that she didn't make use of, it wasn't something that she had a moral objection to. (EDIT: If I recall correctly, the words I used were "philosophical opposition".)
She was 100% unable to comprehend my position. She could not understand my objection to the campus devoting resources to safe spaces because I viewed them as antithetical to the idea of an institution of learning.
And also excludes others who might make the safe space, unsafe. It’s called Apartheid - and that’s not pretty, because it enables an arbitrary process of decision making about who must be excluded and in what grounds, because they might make my space unsafe. So if you are a horrible person who believes there are only two sexes, or if you are White and therefore innately and unconsciously micro-aggressive, you can be excluded. Not using a recreational facility is a choice, being able to use a safe space requires permission. The ultimate is the whole campus us declared a safe space except for an area where ‘unsafe’ people may use. And that has happened.
That is correct. The campus already had an "international center" which we were assured everyone was welcome to use, but which effectively excluded certain skin colors. It also already had an entire floor of the student center devoted to "gender" something or other, but I'm pretty sure I could not have gone in there to have a reasoned conversation about biological sex.
Isn’t that why outside benches were placed around campus? I didn’t need a room that specifically said “safe space”. If I wanted a quite room I went to the library.
But on those benches or in the library, you might have overheard a conversation that triggered a trauma response, or - even worse - a person might have come up to you and attempted to engage you in a conversation over which you did not have complete control.
Ten years ago, I attended a public forum (in-person) at our local university campus in which it was discussed whether or not the campus should have dedicated "safe spaces." One student who was in favor of the idea said that people who didn't think they were necessary could just ignore them and not use them. She gave the example of herself not using the recreation center because she didn't work out. I countered with the idea that it was different because, although she was paying for something on campus that she didn't make use of, it wasn't something that she had a moral objection to. (EDIT: If I recall correctly, the words I used were "philosophical opposition".)
She was 100% unable to comprehend my position. She could not understand my objection to the campus devoting resources to safe spaces because I viewed them as antithetical to the idea of an institution of learning.
And also excludes others who might make the safe space, unsafe. It’s called Apartheid - and that’s not pretty, because it enables an arbitrary process of decision making about who must be excluded and in what grounds, because they might make my space unsafe. So if you are a horrible person who believes there are only two sexes, or if you are White and therefore innately and unconsciously micro-aggressive, you can be excluded. Not using a recreational facility is a choice, being able to use a safe space requires permission. The ultimate is the whole campus us declared a safe space except for an area where ‘unsafe’ people may use. And that has happened.
That is correct. The campus already had an "international center" which we were assured everyone was welcome to use, but which effectively excluded certain skin colors. It also already had an entire floor of the student center devoted to "gender" something or other, but I'm pretty sure I could not have gone in there to have a reasoned conversation about biological sex.
Isn’t that why outside benches were placed around campus? I didn’t need a room that specifically said “safe space”. If I wanted a quite room I went to the library.
But on those benches or in the library, you might have overheard a conversation that triggered a trauma response, or - even worse - a person might have come up to you and attempted to engage you in a conversation over which you did not have complete control.
"....you did not have complete control."
Blam! Nailed it, bagged it, tagged it.