The History of Safe Zone Training in Peace Corps

I first heard of Safe Zone training in 2004 when we featured the article “The Double Life of Gay Volunteer in Kenya” by Eric Shea, who had just returned from his PC service in Kenya. He and his PCV colleagues had created a training package to train the local Peace Corps staff about issues of American diversity, including gay people. I quote a short paragraph from his article.“I became part of the volunteer-run Diversity and Peer Support group, using it as a tool to break down the walls in Peace Corps Kenya. With barely any support from senior administration and no budget, DPS has trained all permanent staff on issues regarding American diversity and Peace Corps’ policies. Among other things, we have facilitated diversity panels and peer-support workshops. Through DPS, the ideal of diversity has gained respect and understanding from staff and volunteers, raised awareness about Americans and established a solid Safe Zone for all people committed to Peace Corps Kenya.”I had become more aware of Safe Zone training since then. A year ago we put an article and Safe Zone Training attachments on our web site authored by PCV, Guatemala, Grant Picarillo and his PCV colleagues. Here is Grant’s explanation of Safe Zone training.

“Safe Zone” is a LGBT sensitivity, acceptance and awareness training exercise designed to promote understanding and promote ally development among our straight peers. Subsequently, the mission is simple. By facilitating a better understanding of LGBT issues among Peace Corps staff, LGBT trainees and volunteers will feel more supported, comfortable and accepted in their individual interactions with staff members and thus in their service as a whole.”

Since that time LGBT PCVs and their Volunteer supporters have hosted or are planning Safe Zone training or versions of it in several countries: The Gambia, Jordan, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and El Salvador. What I find incredibly amazing about this is that this has all been spear-headed, developed, adapted and trained by LGBT PCVs and straight PCV allies. These are not training packages developed by PC HQ in Washington. Our Peace Corps volunteer compatriots have seen a need for this and “done it.”

I recently met with Bryan, back from his PC service in Jordan. He was one of the PCVs who provided Safe Zone training to new PCVs and Jordanian staff at the Peace Corps office in Amman. He told me how one of his PCV colleagues had seen the Safe Zone training developed by Guatemala PCVs on our website, then adapted it for training sessions for both new PCVs arriving in Jordan, but also much of the Jordanian PC staff. These sessions were quite successful, much more active participation than the six PCVs (both gay and straight) who conducted the training expected. Bryan described seeing the Safe Zone stickers posted throughout the PC office afterward. There are plans to continue the training this year, and to continue to adapt it to better fit cultural norms in Jordan. We plan to have this Middle-East version on our website at the end of the year, after these further adaptions.

We have recently added to our website two additional resources, Marnie Florin’s Gambia package (add the Gambia link address here) and Brad Mattan’s and his PCV colleagues’ Ecuador brochure. All of these pieces can be adapted for any Peace Corps country. No one has to start from scratch.