Through our Safe Zone Training, you can become a better ally and an advocate for the GSD community. We offer our Safe Zone core, which is a 2-hour-long training session, multiple times per semester. We also have 1-hour brown-bag Safe Zone training. The brown-bags offer additional knowledge about the individual communities within the GSD community.

Created to address the concerns of the Gender and Sexual Diversity community and their allies at Eastern Illinois University and the surrounding area, the Safe Zone Project is a way to reach out to these students and welcome them in all areas of the EIU community. Safe Zones are areas on and around campus where supportive people provide information and work toward the elimination of myths, misconceptions, and stereotypes. Email us if you would like to schedule a session or ask about any upcoming training!

Safe Zone Mission Statement

By participating in the Safe Zone Program, you pledge that your Safe Zone is a place where members of the Gender and Sexual Diversity community and their allies can:

• feel comfortable and safe in a confidential environment.
• express any issues and concerns in an atmosphere of acceptance and support.
• access informational and educational resources including: organizations, phone numbers, websites, and books.

Safe Zone Core (2-hour training module)

Safe Zone Core is open to any student, staff, or faculty member who is interested in becoming an ally for the LGBTQA+ community, and learning more about gender and sexuality related issues. Topics that will be addressed include: GSD terminology, the coming out process, heterosexual privilege, facts and myths about the GSD community, the Riddle Homophobia Scale, and ways to engage in quiet activism. Completion of Core will result in becoming an identified Safe Zone Ally.

Asexual Awareness (1-hour training module)

This one-hour brown bag focuses on asexuality. Briefly, an asexual person is someone who does not experience sexual attraction. The workshop will cover questions, such as:

• What does it mean to be asexual and/or aromantic? How do individuals experience asexuality different from one another?
• What makes asexuality a distinct identity rather than a behavior (such as celibacy) or medical disorder?
• How does asexuality overlap with and differ from other identities within the Gender, Sexual, & Romantic Diversity (GSRD) community?
• What specific challenges and prejudices might asexual people face in a society that assumes all people are sexual?
• How can we support asexual and aromantic students on Eastern’s campus?

Beyond Bystander Advocate Training (1-hour training module)

The Beyond Bystander training complements the Safe Zone Core training, taking a more thorough look at how to effectively advocate for members of the GSD community. This training will provide an interactive platform to assist in being a better advocate and ally for the Gender and Sexual Diversity community.

Bisexual/Pansexual Awareness (1 hour training module)

Bisexual and Pansexual Awareness discusses the misconceptions, myths and stereotypes concerning bisexual and pansexual individuals. This session will also educate participants on the differences, intersectionality of bisexual and pansexual identities and reflections on their own experiences.

GSD History (1-hour training module)

Were you taught the history of the GSD community in school?  Most of us were not!  This is an opportunity to dive into the past to better understand how we got to where we are now.  Throughout this presentation the history of LGBTQA+ individuals in the United States and the history of GSD at Eastern Illinois University will be evaluated.

Trans 101 (1-hour training module)

Trans 101 is an interactive and exploratory presentation which reviews basic terminology, statistics, and best practices regarding the transgender umbrella. This presentation is truly a 101 and audiences can expect to leave with the proper building blocks to being a proactive ally.

The Trans*formation Station is a unique service that we offer to our transgender and non-binary students at Eastern Illinois University. We provide our students with a confidential and safe way to get clothing and accessories that align with their gender identity or express for free.

We offer pants, shorts, polos, dress shirts, dresses, shoes, and bras. We also have a wide assortment of accessories including purses, ties, and jewelry.

We also offer tampons, menstrual pads, and deodorant as well.

Cost & Hours:

• All clothing, shoes, handbags, purses, make up, costume jewelry, tampons, menstrual pads, and deodorant is available completely for FREE whenever the GSD center is open.
• All services offered in connection with the Trans*formation Station are confidential for EIU students, with no questions asked.

How to Donate:

• We accept donations of clothing that is clean, and stain free and in style. You can email us at lgbtqa@eiu.edu to schedule a time to drop off items for donation, or for the potential for us to pick up items.

Please note: we are not currently accepting t-shirts. 

We have a large library of books and DVD's that students may checkout for a two week period. We have all types of videos from educational to comedy and everything in between. Student and staff alike can check out DVD's and books for personal use or academic use. 

Check out the EIU Booth Library GSD databases.