In this paper we examine how those who design and facilitate LGBTQ+ social justice educational interventions (SJEIs), commonly known as Safe Zone or Ally Workshops, as part of their institutional role described the content and outcomes of those workshops. We provide insights about types, components, and approaches of these LGBTQ+ SJEIs. Then,…

Using Ahmed's (2012) scholarship on diversity work and institutional life as a conceptual framework, we examine how LGBTQ+ social justice educational intervention (SJEI) facilitators described the challenges of their role. We found LGBTQ+ SJEI facilitators descriptions of their role revealed institutional dynamics that undermine purported support…

This paper explores the experiences of nonbinary and trans (NBT) facilitators of Safe Zone workshops, what we call LGBTQ+ social justice educational interventions (SJEIs). Despite their prevalence in higher education for over 3 decades, there remains a paucity of research about them and those who facilitate them. This research focused on 33 NBT…

Safe Zone trainings are ubiquitous on college campuses but remain understudied as a social justice educational intervention (SJEI). Focusing on data from 56 higher education professionals who facilitate LGBTQ+ SJEIs, a subset of a larger research project, we describe their facilitation styles and approaches to facilitation. Findings indicate a…

This exploratory qualitative research focuses on the experiences of those who facilitate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) social justice educational interventions (SJEIs), such as safe zone, safe space, and ally training. Although persistent in higher education LGBTQ+ SJEIs remain an understudied area for empirical…

Using scholarly personal narratives as a research tool, we explored how the director of an LGBTQ+ living-learning program (LLP) created community within the constructs of an otherwise cis- and heteronormative residential environment. We reviewed the first author's reflections about community experiences and analyzed them for opportunities to upend…