Oct. 20, 2017: UAA SafeZone hosts Lavender Lunch on topic of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

UAA SafeZone will hold a Lavender Lunch on the topic of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" this Friday, Oct. 20, noon-1 p.m. in the Student Union Leadership Lab, located on the second floor. Active duty and U.S. military veterans will share some of their experiences and current work with Pride events at JBER here in Alaska. We hope you'll join us for the discussion.

Food will be provided or you can bring your own. UAA SafeZone is an inclusive organization and just as you are all welcome, so are your questions and conversation. Presented by UAA SafeZone, Student Activities & Commuter Programs, and Military and Veteran Student Services. Food graciously provided by Student Activities and Commuter Student Programs.

UAA's SafeZone is a campus-wide program designed to increase the overall campus community's understanding and awareness of issues faced by gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, allies (GLBTQA+) and other marginalized persons on the gender and sexual identity spectrums. We offer a message of inclusion, support and advocacy through two-hour Ally trainings, taking participants through a variety of activities aimed at expanding horizons and cultivating thoughts. Ally trainings help participants examine their thoughts and views while prepping them to become better allies for the GLBTQA+ community.

All UAA SafeZone events are open to UAA students, staff, faculty and the surrounding communities.

SafeZone was a part of the UAA community in the 1990s, and returned to UAA in November 2010 thanks to the efforts of former Residence Life and Dean of Students office employees Maria Bonifacio-Sample, Anna Hinman and Jamie Vance, and thanks to funding from the Diversity Action Council. UAA SafeZone now has more than 100 trained allies and nearly 50 trainers, comprised of current and former students, staff, faculty, and members of the Anchorage, Fairbanks, Valdez and Soldotna communities.

For more information about UAA SafeZone, visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/UAAsafezone or email uaa_safezone@alaska.edu.

For more information about the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on gay, lesbian and bisexual service members, consider attending Eric Alva's upcoming talk at UAA, presented by UAA Student Activities and Commuter Student Programs. Alva, an Iraq War veteran and LGBT rights activist, will speak Oct. 26, 7 p.m. at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium. Tickets are free for UAA students and $5 for the general public. Advance tickets available at UAATix.com.