Hosts must go through “safe space training.” Muslims must have a space for prayer. Gender-neutral restrooms are a must.
Those are among the recommendations in a two-page “inclusivity checklist,” at Georgia Tech University for any group planning to host an event on campus. The list, released by the Student Government Association’s Cultural and Diversity Affairs Committee, was obtained by The College Fix.
“We wanted to make students more intentional in ensuring that everyone feels welcome,” Barry Johnson-Smith told Georgia Tech News. “They’re simple guidelines, but we are not really taught about these things.”
For example, students are advised to accommodate overweight people by providing seating for all sizes.
Hosts should include “trigger warnings” against things that might come up at your event like “rape, sexual assault, racism, self-harm, transphobia, homophobia, violence, etc.”
The student leaders suggest using words like “’women,’ not ‘females’ or girls,’ as well as avoiding “slut shaming” or “hyper-masculinity: promoting or assuming a particular standard of manliness.”
Hosts, they add, should “take your own privilege into account.”
Before the event, they suggest going through “safe space training” and providing “a private spot available for people to go if they are triggered or overwhelmed during the event.”
To ensure all genders are included and respected, people, depending on how they choose to identify, can wearing name tags with their preferred names or pronouns.
The checklist also has a strong emphasis on “LGBTQIA inclusion” throughout each category.
“Be prepared to challenge homophobic/transphobic ideas and opinions during the event,” and “incorporate discussions and workshops about LGBTQIA topics into your meetings and programs,” the list reads.
They also suggest “making an LGBTQIA-friendly organization the beneficiary for fundraising events or service days” as well as checking “if sponsors, vendors, etc. have positive stance on LGBTQIA inclusion.”
This Sunday, Georgia Tech Division of Student Life is hosting an inclusive leadership conference called “InclYOUsivity: The Change Starts With You.”
