Safer Space Manifesto

Still, up to this day we live in a world where a lot of people feel unsafe and not accepted. In the desire to change all of this, the idea of the safe(r) space manifesto sprouted. It speaks about how the queer community is still oppressed and we still live in a society with power dynamics and privileges. But most importantly it speaks about how we can change all of that, little by little. 

We chose the term safe(r) spaces because we realize that not everyone experiences spaces in the same way as others, so any set of guidelines designed to create safety may not meet everyone’s requirements and there may be complications or mistakes in meeting those guidelines in practice.

Our mission is to talk to people, organizations, services, etc. about this manifest. If they believe in everything it stands for and promise to implement it, they can sign a commitment statement. 

You can read the manifesto (available in English and Dutch) by clicking on the links below. If you’re interested in signing the manifest, please contact us and we’ll provide all the documents. 

We encourage feedback on this manifest. This document is a process and not the whole truth; it is a document that will continue to evolve. That is why adjustments will be made in the future. You can certainly contribute to this. So please contact us if you have advice on making it even more inclusive. 

In the future, there will be more translations available, such as French. Also if you can help out with translating, we would love to hear from you. 

Organizations that signed already: 

• Slam-T (Ghent, BE)
• Blond (Ghent, BE)
• Queer Pride Gent (Ghent, BE)
• Genderspectrum Gent (Ghent, BE)
• Plasactie VZW (Ghent, BE)
• Macky (Flanders, BE)
• Out Loud (Ghent, BE)
• Tender Noons (Ghent, BE)
• Auw La (Ghent, BE)
• Partij Voor De Poëzie (Antwerp, BE)
• Queer Space (Ghent, BE)
• Girls Go Boom (Ghent, BE)
• Mensen Zeggen Dingen (BE/NL)
• You On Stage (Antwerp, BE)
• Broeikas Gent (Ghent, BE)
• Eyemèr (BE)
• Haus of Consent (Ghent, BE)
• De Levensbloem (Ghent, BE)
• Genderspectrum Antwerpen (Antwerp, BE)
• Inke Gieghase (BE)