What does a Positive Space Participant do?
Positive Space is all about making our welcoming community visible. So, first and foremost, participating in Positive Space means posting a sticker in a visible location, preferably at the entrance to your space. Posting a Positive Space sticker informs others that you are respectful of, and knowledgeable about, sexual and gender diversity.
You are not expected to be an “expert” on queer issues. However, you are expected to have general understanding of the issues that affect queer lives, discrimination and harassment policies, and to know about the resources available to this community (many of which can be found by clicking “Resources” on this Web site). To help you stay connected with the community, you’ll be added to a Positive Space e-mail list.
You are not expected to act as a counsellor. Indeed, the Positive Space Program urges you to avoid taking on such a role. If counselling beyond brief peer support is needed, a referral to a counsellor is warranted.
Your role is to serve as a resource, both to the queer community and to those who may be interested in or have questions about that community, to listen well, and to help people connect with appropriate information and programs.
If your sticker is defaced, or if you change locations, you’ll do two things: (1) remove the sticker and (2) let us know so we can provide you with a new sticker.
Beyond these few things, you can be as active or inactive as you wish. All participants are invited to our annual OPIRG-Positive Space Award event and other programs from time to time, and all are invited to consider joining the Positive Space Steering Committee, which provides support in a variety of ways to activities of the queer community on campus.
How can I become a Positive Space Participant?
Attend a two-hour information session. At the end, if you wish, you may sign up to be a participant, and you will receive a sticker.
How can I attend an information session?
There are two ways:
- Send an e-mail to Positive Space at posspace@queensu.ca indicating that you want to attend a session, and we will reply with a current list of dates, times, and locations when sessions will be offered.
or
- Information sessions can be arranged for groups on request. Typically, a department, staff unit, or student organization will request a session. Contact us at posspace@queensu.ca if you are interested in organizing an information session for your group.