Now in her thirteenth year of teaching at Cal State Long Beach, Nancy Matthews talks to She Who Persisted about how to create safe spaces and foster environments within which students can grow and learn, and can feel accepted within their local community. Interested in finding out more about how you can create a safe space in your own place of employment or just within your own life? Check out some of the resources below for more information:

CSLB Nondiscrimination Policy (a bit of context for one situation discussed in the interview): http://web.csulb.edu/divisions/aa/catalog/current/general_policies/nondiscrimination_policy.html

Autistic Self Advocacy Network: http://autisticadvocacy.org/2012/10/what-is-an-ally/

VET NET: http://www.vetnethq.com/

GLSEN Safe Space Kit (great for educators): https://shop.glsen.org/collections/glsen-resources/products/glsen-safe-space-kit?variant=14689599046

Kent State's training manual on being an Ally: https://www.kent.edu/sites/default/files/gpad-ally-training-doc.pdf

The Human Rights Campaign on how to establish an Allies/Safe Space Programme: https://www.hrc.org/resources/establishing-an-allies-safe-zone-program

The UCDavis LGBTQIA Resource Center (which provides descriptions for useful terms as you start to engage with your own language): https://lgbtqia.ucdavis.edu/educated/glossary.html