December 5, 2025

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Safe Zone Book Club Discussion, Nov. 10

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'Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements' will be the subject of UMW's Safe Zone Book Club Discussion this month.

‘Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements’ will be the subject of UMW’s Safe Zone Book Club Discussion this month.

The Safe Zone Book Club Discussion will take place on Thursday, Nov. 10, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., in a location that will be shared with attendees. This semester’s book is Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements by Charlene A. Carruthers. The first 12 people who sign up will receive a copy of the book. All faculty and staff readers at any stage in the book (or who have not yet had a chance to read) are welcome.

Registration is required to attend for refreshment and space purposes. Please email Professor of Psychological Science and Safe Zone Acting Director Mindy Erchull, at merchull@umw.edu, to register.

Upcoming Safe Zone Events

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UMW Safe Zone rainbow bell towerSafe Zone is excited to announce several upcoming events.

We will be hosting our spring book club on Wednesday, February 23 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. We will be reading Angela Chen’s ACE: What Asexuality Reveals about Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex. This program is open to all faculty and staff, including adjunct faculty and part-time staff. Books will be provided for free to the first 15 participants who register. Registration is required and space is limited.

We will be offering our next Faculty/Staff Basic Workshop on Thursday, February 24 from 3:00-5:30 on-campus. This workshop is open to all faculty and staff, including adjunct faculty and part-time staff. In this workshop, we cover everything from basic terminology to how to be an ally. The overall aim of the workshop is to help make UMW a more LGBTQ+ inclusive community. At the end of the workshop, participants will have an opportunity to sign our ally form and get a rainbow eagle ally sticker. Registration is required and space is limited.

We will be tabling for Transgender Day of Visibility on Thursday, March 31 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Weather permitting we will be on the UC patio. Otherwise, you can find us in the lobby of the UC. Please come out and write a message of support. We’ll be handing out resources and swag. All are welcome to stop by the table!

If you have any questions about Safe Zone or would like to register for the workshop and/or book club, then please email Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu.

October Safe Zone tabling events

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UMW Safe ZoneOn October 20, from 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the lobby of the UC we will be celebrating International Pronouns Day. On that day, we will be making pronoun buttons in recognition of how important it is to respect others’ pronouns and to share our own pronouns. All are welcome. We will be giving out stickers and buttons.

Please email Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu with questions.

Fall Safe Zone programs

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The UMW Safe Zone program offers workshops that are designed to educate members of the University community about lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) issues to increase the safety and inclusion of all campus citizens. At the end of each workshop, participants have the opportunity to become a Safe Zone ally for our campus. Safe Zone allies are individuals who will:

  1. Be understanding, supportive, and trustworthy if LGBTQ+ individuals need help, advice, or just someone to talk to.
  2. Not tolerate homophobic, transphobic, and heterosexist comments and actions and will address them in an educational and informative manner.
  3. Have received training and can provide information regarding on- or off-campus resources.

We offer several types of Safe Zone programs every semester for faculty and staff. All faculty and staff are welcome and encouraged to attend these workshops, including adjunct faculty and part-time staff.

  • We will be offering a basic training on Tuesday, September 14 from 2:00-4:30 p.m. (in-person on campus). This training focuses on terminology, issues related to privilege, increasing awareness and sensitivity, and how to support the LGBTQ+ population on campus.
  • We will be offering an advanced training on Wednesday, September 22 from 1:00-3:30 p.m. (in-person on campus). The advanced training is for faculty and staff who have already completed the basic training and covers more complex topics, including bystander intervention.
  • We will be holding a two-part book club for Faculty and Staff on Tuesday, September 28 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. and Tuesday, October 5 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. (in-person on campus). We will be reading Megan Rapinoe’s memoir titled “One Life.” Megan Rapinoe is a star for the United States Women’s National Soccer team and a vocal activist for a range of issues, including LGBTQ+ inclusion, racial justice, and equal pay. We will offer a free book to the first 12 people to sign-up. Participants are expected to attend both book club sessions because this is a two-part discussion.

If you would like to attend one or all of these events, please email Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu. Registration is required to attend. Please also keep in mind that all participants are expected to wear a mask and to wear that mask correctly throughout the entire Safe Zone program. If you do not comply with this policy, then you will be asked to leave.

Please stop by the Safe Zone table in the lobby of the University Center on Monday, August 30 from 11:00-1:00 or Tuesday, August 31 from 12:30-2:00. We will have helpful resources and awesome swag to give out. If you have questions about the Safe Zone program, please reach out to Dr. Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu or check out our website bit.ly/UMWsafezone.

If your office, department, or students would like to schedule a training, then please email Laura. If you would like more information about Safe Zone at UMW, to see the list of allies on our campus, or access LGBTQ+ inclusion resources, please visit our website at bit.ly/UMWsafezone. Also, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram @umwsafezone.

Spring Safe Zone Programs

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UMW Safe Zone logoThe UMW Safe Zone program offers workshops that are designed to educate members of the University community about lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) issues to increase the safety and inclusion of all campus citizens. We are excited to announce the following Spring programs:

  • We will be offering a basic training on Tuesday, March 2nd from 2:00-4:30pm (via Zoom). This training focuses on terminology, issues related to privilege, increasing awareness and sensitivity, and how to support the LGBTQ+ population on campus.
  • We will be offering an advanced training on Friday, March 5th from 1-3:30pm (via Zoom). The advanced training is for faculty and staff who have already completed the basic training and covers more complex topics, including bystander intervention.
  • We are also in the process of planning a book club. This would be a two-part program offered in the late afternoon on Zoom. We would like to judge interest and availability before picking the dates. We will be reading “Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More” by Janet Mock. Safe Zone will provide a free copy of the book to the first 14 people who sign up!
  • We are also in the process of planning an offering of our Identity and Intersectionality. The training covers privilege, power, oppression, prejudice, diversity, cultural competency, intersectionality, and allyship. Ideally, participants will have attended at least one Safe Zone workshop prior to attending this training, but this is not mandatory. We would like to judge interest and availability before picking dates and times for this workshop.

Registration is required to attend each event, and space is limited. If you are interested in registering for the Basic and/or Advanced training, or would like to express interest in the Book Club and/or Identity and Intersectionality Workshop, then please provide your information at http://umw.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_57QYFoE4BvcEGz4.

Fall Safe Zone Book Club

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We still have some room in our Fall Book Club. We will meet twice to discuss this semester’s book: Born Both: An Intersex Life by Hida Viloria. We will meet (over Zoom) on Tuesday, October 20th and Tuesday, October 27th from 4-5:30 p.m. Registration is required, and we still have books to give to participants. Please join us!

We also still have a few seats left in our Advanced Safe Zone workshop on Thursday, October 22nd from 1-3:30 p.m. (via Zoom). The advanced training is for faculty and staff who have already completed the basic training and covers more complex topics, including bystander intervention. Registration is required.

If you would like to register for either of these events, please email Mindy Erchull at merchull@umw.edu.

If you would like more information about Safe Zone, to see the list of allies on our campus, or access LGBTQ+ inclusion resources, please visit the website at bit.ly/UMWsafezone.

Fall Safe Zone Events

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BE YOU: UMW Safe Zone logoSafe Zone is excited to announce several upcoming programs, including our Fall Book Club. The UMW Safe Zone program offers programs that are designed to educate members of the University community about lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) issues to increase the safety and inclusion of all campus citizens. All of our programs are free and open to all faculty and staff.

We will be offering a Basic Safe Zone workshop on Wednesday, October 7th from 9-11:30 a.m. (via Zoom). This training focuses on terminology, issues related to privilege, increasing awareness and sensitivity, and how to support the LGBTQ+ population on campus. This is an opportunity for any faculty or staff member to become a Safe Zone ally. Space is limited and registration is required. All participants get cool Safe Zone swag!

We will be offering an Advanced Safe Zone workshop on Thursday, October 22nd from 1-3:30 p.m. (via Zoom). The advanced training is for faculty and staff who have already completed the basic training and covers more complex topics, including bystander intervention. Space is limited and registration is required. All participants get cool Safe Zone swag!

We will be offering our Fall Book Club as a two-part program on Tuesday, October 20th from 4-5:30 p.m. and Tuesday, October 27th from 4-5:30 p.m. Meetings will happen through Zoom. We will be reading Born Both: An Intersex Life by Hida Viloria. The first 14 people to register get a free book! Plus, all participants get cool Safe Zone swag. Space is limited and registration is required.

If you would like to register for any of these events, please email Mindy Erchull at merchull@umw.edu.

If you would like more information about Safe Zone, to see the list of allies on our campus, or access LGBTQ+ inclusion resources, please visit the website at bit.ly/UMWsafezone.

Wilson Discusses How Rape Survivors Process Trauma with Huffington Post

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Laura Wilson, associate professor of psychology

Laura Wilson, associate professor of psychology

Associate Professor of Psychological Science and Safe Zone Director Laura Wilson discussed how rape survivors process trauma with The Huffington Post, in an article entitled, “Rape is Still Rape, Even When Consensual Sex Happens Later.” The article highlights the testimony of rape survivor Jessica Mann, an actress who testified that she was raped by disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein, and later had a consensual relationship with him.

“I certainly understand that it seems bizarre,” Dr. Laura Wilson, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of Mary Washington told HuffPost by phone on Thursday. “But in actuality, when you think about how people respond to victimization it makes a lot of sense.” Wilson, whose research focuses on post-trauma functioning in sexual assault survivors, explained that most survivors don’t initially use the terms “assault” or “rape” to describe what they’ve experienced. Instead, they might conceptualize the assault as “bad sex” or “a miscommunication.” 

Often times, the survivor in this scenario is in an ongoing relationship with an abusive partner, Wilson said. People tend to believe rape is perpetrated by a stranger ― not someone known to the victim like a partner, classmate or colleague. So when sexual violence is perpetrated by someone the survivor knows (which is 80% of the time, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), they often don’t have the correct language to describe the encounter. 

“What we know through research is that people have, what we call, a ‘stereotyped rape script,’” Wilson explained. “What most people assume rape looks like is a strange man raping a woman in a dark alley, there’s typically a weapon involved, and she normally fights back. Anything that doesn’t fit that script, we don’t know what to do with it. We don’t know how to conceptualize it.” Read more.

Spring Safe Zone Events

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Safe Zone is excited to announce several upcoming programs, including our Spring Book Club. The UMW Safe Zone program offers programs that are designed to educate members of the University community about lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) issues to increase the safety and inclusion of all campus citizens. All of our programs are free and open to all faculty and staff.

  • We will be offering a Basic Safe Zone workshop on Thursday, January 23 from 3:30-6:00pm. This training focuses on terminology, issues related to privilege, increasing awareness and sensitivity, and how to support the LGBTQ+ population on campus. This is an opportunity for any faculty or staff member to become a Safe Zone ally. Space is limited and registration is required. All participants get cool Safe Zone swag!
  • We will be offering an Advanced Safe Zone workshop on Wednesday, January 29 from 3:00-5:30pm. The advanced training is for faculty and staff who have already completed the basic training and covers more complex topics, including bystander intervention. Space is limited and registration is required. All participants get cool Safe Zone swag!
  • Safe Zone is partnering with the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board to provide a new training opportunity. Did you know that 66% of UMW students report experiencing at least one adverse childhood experience, such as abuse, family dysfunction or bullying? Research has shown that these types of experiences are associated with negative physical and mental health outcomes later in life. Join us for a workshop on how these types of negative childhood experiences affect our students. This training will be held on Wednesday, February 12 from 3:30-5:30pm, and is open to all faculty and staff. Refreshments will be provided. Space is limited and registration is required.
  • We will be offering our Spring Book Club as a two-part program on Wednesday, February 19 from 5:00pm-6:30pm and Wednesday, February 26 from 5:00pm-6:30pm. We will be reading “A Cup of Water Under My Bed” by Daisy Hernandez. The first 13 people to register get a free book! Plus, all participants get cool Safe Zone swag. Space is limited and registration is required.

If you would like to register for any of these events, please email Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu. If you would like more information about Safe Zone, to see the list of allies on our campus or access LGBTQ+ inclusion resources, please visit the website at bit.ly/UMWsafezone.

October Safe Zone Events

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Safe Zone is excited to announce several upcoming programs during the month of October. The UMW Safe Zone program offers programs that are designed to educate members of the University community about lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) issues to increase the safety and inclusion of all campus citizens. All of our programs are free and open to all faculty and staff regardless of position or classification.

  • We are co-sponsoring an event with the Center for Prevention & Education and the Talley Center as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. On Monday, October 7 from 4:00-5:30pm we are hosting an event called “Pizza and Consent” in HCC 327. Consent is about more than just sex! Come enjoy free pizza as you participate in an LGBTQ+ friendly interactive workshop about consent in relationships. Content covered is relevant to all genders and sexualities, including asexual and aromantic. All participants get cool Safe Zone swag! No registration is required.
  • We will be offering a Basic Safe Zone workshop on Thursday, October 24th from 3:30pm-5:30pm. This training focuses on terminology, issues related to privilege, increasing awareness and sensitivity, and how to support the LGBTQ+ population on campus. This is an opportunity for any faculty or staff member to become a Safe Zone ally. Space is limited and registration is required. Please email Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu to register for this training or if you have questions. All participants get cool Safe Zone swag!
  • Come celebrate National Coming Out Day on Wednesday, October 9th from 11am-2pm on the UC Patio (rain location UC Kiosk A)! We will be giving out Safe Zone tech tattoos for your keyboards, pronoun buttons, and helpful resources.
  • We will be celebrating International Pronouns Day on Wednesday, October 16th. We will be handing out pronoun buttons at Coming Out Day and we ask everyone to wear a pronoun button on International Pronouns Day!

If you would like more information about Safe Zone, to see the list of campus allies or access LGBTQ+ inclusion resources, please visit the website at bit.ly/UMWsafezone. Please also follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@umwsafezone).