"Safe Space"

Abstract

In recognizing the classroom as a space of vulnerability, the concept of “safe space” has proven helpful yet also potentially problematic. Because what is safe for some is certainly not for others and because “safety” can be a privilege to which not all have access, can safe spaces exist? This chapter interrogates what is at stake in this pedagogical concept, asking: What are our responsibilities as queer educators in creating certain types of environments? In queer pedagogy, should we be wary of a discourse of “safety” that may feed into neoliberal focuses on security and surveillance? What tools can we use to challenge this rhetoric while maintaining a focus on the politics of speaking and being heard within both educational institutions and queer communities?