11/14/2015

TheSeductionofSafety,onCampusandBeyondTheNewYorkTimes

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SundayReview

CONTRI BUTI NGOPEDWRI TER

TheSeductionofSafety,onCampusand
Beyond
NOV.13,2015

RoxaneGay

IHAVEbeensearchingforsafetyformostofmylife.Iexperiencedabrutal
assaultwhenIwasyoungandinthatterriblemoment,IlearnedIwas
vulnerableinunimaginableways.Ihavecometocravesafety,theideathatI
canlivefreefromphysicaloremotionalharm.Asanadult,Iunderstandthat
thereisnosuchthingassafety,thatsafetyispromisedtonoone,butohthe
ideaofitremainssolovely,soelusive.
Whenitcomestohumanresilience,ourculturehasgrandideasaboutthe
nobilityofhardshipandsuffering.Theworldbreakseveryone,and
afterward,manyarestrongatthebrokenplaces,ErnestHemingwaywrote.
Andcertainly,IbecamethewomanIamtoday,forbetterandworse,because
ofthehardshipsIhaveendured.IfIhadtochoose,though,Iwouldpreferto
havenotlostmysenseofsafetyinthewayIdid.
Iamnowalwayssearchingforsafety,andIappreciatesafespacesthe
onesIcreateformystudentsinaclassroom,theonesIcreatewithmywriting
andtheonesotherscreate,toobecausethereissomuchunsafespaceinthis
world.

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Thispastweek,thenewsmediahasenergeticallydiscussedstudentunrest
atYaleandattheUniversityofMissouri,wherestudentsareprotesting
administrativeinsensitivityorinactioninthefaceoftroubledracialclimates.
AtMizzou,inparticular,studentactivistshavedemandedsafespace.A
studentjournalist,TimTai,wasdeniedaccesstotheprotesterstentcityina
publicareaofthecampus.Theprotestersdidntwanttobephotographedor
interviewed,possiblynottrustingjournaliststotelltheirstoryaccurately.
Thenextday,theyrightlychangedtheirstance,openedtheirspacetothe
media,andadebateonfreespeechandsafespacesfoundnewlife.Quickly,
thestudentprotesterswereaccusedofnottoleratingfreespeechinregardnot
onlytoMr.Tai,butalsotothosewhouseracialepithetsandotherwiseengage
inhatespeech.Theywereaccusedofbeingweak,ofbeingwhinyforhavingthe
audacitytoexpecttoattendcollegewithoutbeingharassedfortheirblackness.
Asawriter,IbelievetheFirstAmendmentissacred.Thefreedomof
speech,however,doesnotguaranteefreedomfromconsequence.Youcan
speakyourmind,butyoucanalsobeshunned.Youcanbecriticized.Youcan
beignoredorridiculed.Youcanloseyourjob.Thefreedomofspeechdoesnot
existinavacuum.
Manyofthepeoplewhoadvocateforfreedomofspeechwiththemost
blusterarewillingtowastethispowerfulrightonhatespeech.Butthebeauty
ofthefreedomofspeechisthatitprotectsusfromsubjectivity.Weprotect
someonesrighttoshouthatefulslursthesamewayweprotectsomeones
rightto,say,criticizethegovernment,ordiscussherreligiousbeliefs.
AndsothestudentsatMizzouwantedasafespacetocommuneasthey
protested.Theywantedsanctuarybuthadthenervetodemandthissanctuary
inplainsight,inapublicspace.Ratherthanexaminewhytheactivistsneeded
safespace,mostpeoplewrappedthemselvesintheConstitution,thepathof
lessresistance.Thestudentsareframedascoddledinfants,asifperhapswe
shouldeducatecollegestudentsinamorespartanmannerplacing

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classroomsinlionsdens.
Feminismislargelyresponsibleforintroducingsafespaceintoour
culturalvernacularasameansoffosteringopen,productivedialogue.Inthe
late1980s,queergroupsbegansafespaceprogramsthathavesinceflourished
oncollegecampuses.Whenafacultymemberputsthesafespacesymbolon
herdoor,L.G.B.T.studentsknowtheyhaveaplaceoncampuswheretheywill
notbejudgedorpersecutedfortheirsexualityorgenderidentity,wherethey
aresafe.
Safespacesallowpeopletofeelwelcomewithoutbeingunsafebecauseof
theidentitiestheyinhabit.Asafespaceisahavenfromtheharshrealities
peoplefaceintheireverydaylives.
Allgoodideascanbeexploited.Therearesomeextreme,illadvisedand
simplyabsurdmanifestationsoftheideaofsafespace.Andthereareand
shouldbelimitstotheboundariesofsafespace.Safespaceisnotaplace
wheredissentisdiscouraged,wheredissentisseenasharmful.Andyet.I
understandwheresafespaceextremismcomesfrom.Whenyouare
marginalizedandalwaysunsafe,yourskinthins,leavingyourbloodandbone
exposed.Youliveatthebreakingpoint.Insuchcircumstances,ofcourseyou
mightbeinclinedtofiercelyprotectyourself,atanycost.Ofcourseyoumight
becomeintolerant.Ofcourseyoumightperceivedissentasdanger.
Thereisalsothis.Thosewhomocktheideaofsafespacearemostlikely
thesamepeoplewhoareabletotakesafetyforgranted.Thatswhatmakes
discussionsofsafetyandsafespacessodifficult.Wearealsotalkingabout
privilege.Aswitheverythingelseinlife,thereisnoequalitywhenitcomesto
safety.
Whilenooneisguaranteedabsolutesafety,andeveryoneknowssuffering,
therearedangersmembersofcertainpopulationswillneverknow.Thereisa
degreeofsafetymembersofcertainpopulationswillneverknow.Whitepeople
willneverknowthedangersofbeingblackinAmerica,systemic,unequal

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opportunity,racialprofiling,theconstantthreatofpoliceviolence.Menwill
neverknowthedangersofbeingawomaninAmerica,harassment,sexual
violence,legislatedbodies.Heterosexualswillneverknowwhatitmeansto
experiencehomophobia.
Thosewhotakesafetyforgranteddisparagesafetybecauseitis,likeso
manyotherrights,onethathasalwaysbeeninalienabletothem.Theywrongly
assumeweallenjoysuchluxuryandareblindlyseekingsomethingevenmore
extravagant.Theyassumethatweshouldsimplyaccepthatewithoutwanting
somethingbetter.Theycannotseethatwhatweseekissanctuary.Wewantto
breathe.
Oncollegecampuses,wearehavingcontinuingdebatesaboutsafespaces.
Asateacher,IthinkcarefullyabouttheintellectualspaceIwanttofosterin
myclassroomaspacewheredebate,dissentandevenprotestare
encouraged.Iwanttochallengestudentsandbechallenged.Idontwantto
shapetheiropinions.Iwanttoshapehowtheyarticulateandsupportthose
opinions.Idonotbelieveinusingtriggerwarningsbecausethatfeelslikethe
unnecessarysegregationofstudentsfromreality,whichiscomplexand
sometimesdifficult.
Ratherthanusetriggerwarnings,Itrytoprovidestudentswiththe
contexttheywillneedtoengageproductivelyincomplicateddiscussions.I
considermyclassroomasafespaceinthatstudentscancomeastheyare,
regardlessoftheiridentitiesorsociopoliticalaffiliations.Theycantrustthat
theymightbecomeuncomfortablebuttheywontbepersecutedorjudged.
Theycantrustthattheywillbechallengedbuttheywontbetormented.
Whenstudentsleavemyclassroom,anyclassroom,theyhavetoand
shouldfacetherealworld,thebestandworstofit.Icanonlyhopetheyare
adequatelypreparedtonavigatetheworldasitisratherthanhowwewishit
couldbe.ButIalsohopetheyarebothrealisticandidealistic.Ihopethat,like
me,theysearchforsafety,orworktocreateaworldwheresomemeasureof

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safety,nottobeconfusedwithanythingasinfantileascoddling,isan
inalienableright.
RoxaneGayistheauthorofAnUntamedStateandBadFeministanda
contributingopinionwriter.
AversionofthisopedappearsinprintonNovember15,2015,onpageSR1oftheNewYork
editionwiththeheadline:TheSeductionofSafety.

2015TheNewYorkTimesCompany

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