Wisconsin school district weighs banning ‘safe space’ signs that LGBTQ students find supportive

Listen to this article

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Leaders of a southeastern Wisconsin school district could vote next month to ban “safe space” signs in their buildings.

The Arrowhead School Board’s policy committee decided Tuesday to forward a proposed policy banning such signs to the full school board for consideration at its July 12 meeting, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

Advocates for LGBTQ students have suggested that teachers post such signs as a show of support. But Arrowhead’s proposed policy states that such signs could create a sense that some areas of schools aren’t equal because they’re safer than others and signs promoting one group over others can leave students feeling isolated.

The policy also states that putting up displays about “controversial topics” isn’t as appropriate as other approaches and that the district can decide what messages and content can be communicated through signs and postings.

“In part, this is because of the importance of providing substantial context for such issues and due to concerns that certain displays and postings may be perceived as the promotion of a single perspective or viewpoint on such matters or as the promotion of a staff member’s personal opinion on controversial topics,” the policy reads.

Board President Kim Schubert showed examples of stickers that could replace “safe space” signs and include phrases such as, “I am surrounded by people who appreciate and accept me for who I am.”

Board members Tim Langer, Darrell Beneker and Craig Thompson said they oppose the policy. Langer said he was worried about the message the policy would send to LGBTQ students.

“I would move that we table this until we can develop a policy that would take some concrete steps towards helping our LGBT students and giving them the resources that those stickers were sort of a shorthand for,” said Langer.

Arrowhead high school freshman Chase Eastman launched a petition against the policy that had 320 signatures as of Tuesday.

An early draft of the policy also would have banned Black Lives Matter signs, anti-racist signage, rainbows, all flags other than the state and national flag or flags specific to a foreign language being taught and “signage of any type promoting a sexual or gender preference.”

Board members ultimately dropped that language after consulting with their attorney, the Journal Sentinel reported.

School board members in Oak Creek, a Milwaukee suburb, are considering a similar policy banning “safe space” signage and allowing the district to remove signs about controversial issues.