Middle Fingers Up

EP.158 - It's Good To Gup Shup - "Safety Isn't Declared. It's Practiced"

Kiran Randhawa Season 1 Episode 158

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0:00 | 24:13

Safe space. You’ve heard the term everywhere lately — but what does it actually mean? Who is responsible for the 'safety' part of the space?

In this gup shup, we sit with a phrase that shows up everywhere lately: safe space.

From social media to wellness circles to community conversations, the language is everywhere — but the experience doesn’t always match the label.

Looking at the roots of safe spaces in Black civil rights organizing, feminist consciousness-raising groups, and queer and trans communities, alongside trauma-informed practice and psychological safety research, we explore what it really means to hold space for one another.

Historically, these spaces weren’t created to remove discomfort. They were created so people could speak honestly, question power, and sit with difficult truths without fear of punishment or harm.

Because at the end of the day, safety comes before connection.

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In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.