Safe Space
A group that supports the LGBT+ community at EPFL through help, mentorship, and proposals for a more inclusive campus.
What is Safe Space?
Safe Space is a bottom-up initiative aimed to support the EPFL LGBTIQ+ community. We would like to build a community and a space for dialogue where queer people and allies can share their experiences, connect with others and create positive change.
In collaboration with the Vice Presidency for Responsible Transformation (VPT), we also help EPFL to be more attentive to LGBTIQ+ rights such as parental leave, marriage leave and gender marker change.
Reach out
We know it takes courage to speak up and our community members are here if you need someone to talk to. You can contact any of the trained Safe Space members below (by email, phone or Telegram) who will ensure youranonymity and confidentiality. Listening and building trust are our main priorities.
Name | Gender | Member | Language | Contact | Pronoun | Status | ||
Non-binary | LGBTIQ+ | French, English, Italian | Mail: [email protected] Telegram: @aliaspoma | They/them | Student, Unil, FGSE | |||
| Female | LGBTIQ+ | French, English | Mail: [email protected] Phone: 076 578 64 60 Telegram: @cammonte | She/her | Student, IC | |||
Female | LGBTIQ+ | French, Spanish | Mail: [email protected] Phone: +41 21 693 71 80 Telegram: @carmelatroncoso | She/her | TT Asst. Professor, IC | |||
Female | LGBTIQ+ | English, Italian | Mail: [email protected] | She/her | PhD student, ENAC | |||
Female | Ally | English, French | Mail: [email protected] Phone: 021 693 81 29 Telegram:@deirdreR | She/her | Admin staff, IC | |||
Female | Ally | French, English, Dutch, Spanish | Mail: [email protected] | She/her | Professor, SV VP, VPT | |||
Female | Ally | French, English, German | Mail: [email protected] | She/her | Delegate, EGA-VPT | |||
| Natasha Stegmann | Female | LGBTIQ+ | French, English | Mail: [email protected] Phone: 021 693 60 94 Telegram: @natachien | She/her | Admin staff, EGA-VPT | ||
| Male | Ally | French, English | Mail: [email protected] Phone: 076 816 63 99 Telegram: @nickmo | He/him | PhD student, STI | |||
| Male | Ally | French, English, Italian | Mail: [email protected] Phone: 078 675 00 98 Telegram: @Nicolo_Ferrari | He/him | Student, SB | |||
| Male | LGBTIQ+ | French, English, Spanish | Mail: [email protected] Phone: 078 885 34 04 Telegram: @oburri | He/him | Scientific asst., SV | |||
| Male | Ally | French, English | Mail: [email protected] | He/him | Post Doc, IC | |||
| Rebekah Overdorf | Female | LGBTIQ+ | English | Mail: [email protected] | She/Her | Post Doc, IC | ||
| Male | LGBTIQ+ | French, English | Mail: [email protected] Phone: +33 6 51 91 46 91 Telegram: @MrZaik0 | He/him | Student, IC | |||
| Male | Ally | French, English | Mail: [email protected] Telegram: @SolalPirelli | He/him | PhD student, IC | |||
| Female | Ally | French, English, Russian | Mail: [email protected] Phone: +41 76 409 82 80 Telegram: @happy_geeky | She/her | Scientific asst., IC |
How can Safe Space help you?
- We are here if you need someone to talk to, or if you want to share your experience as a member of the LGBTIQ+ community at EPFL.
- If you need support, likeminded individuals are here to listen and discuss possible solutions with you.
- As we build this community, you can meet peers and share experiences on how to navigate difficult personal or professional situations such as coming out, starting a family, and being LGBTIQ+ in Switzerland.
- We help organise trainings about LGBTIQ+ identities, gender and sexuality, and examine prejudice, assumptions, and privilege.
- We are in dialogue with the EPFL community, services and groups, on LGBTIQ+ topics related to all aspects of life.
- If you have witnessed discrimination or harassment, we can help you report it.
- Do you want to be part of the solution and make EPFL more inclusive? Contact us: [email protected] or check out the list of EPFL services, associations and resources below.
Additional support at EPFL
- Person of Trust offering support & guidance to students and staff
- Equal Opportunity Office offering advice
- Student affairs offering individual support and advice to students and PhD students regarding their well-being and mental health
- Student services offering advice to students for academic procedures
- Human Resources offering support to employees
- PlanQueer, LGBTQ+ student association of UNIL and EPFL
- Domestic violence/abuses, harassment: PAV, CheckPoint
- Legal support: TGNS, Épicène, VoGay
- LGBTIQ+ friendly doctors and specialist lists: VoGay, Lilith, Ekivock
- Intersex people : InterAction
- Non-binary people : Ekivock, TGNS, Épicène
- Psychological support: VoGay, CheckPoint
- Sexual health: Lilith, CheckPoint, Les Klamydia’s
- Support groups: VoGay, Lilith, TGNS, InterAction, Épicène, Familles Arc-en-ciel, Lwork, Network, Pink Cross, Fédération genevoise des associations LGBT, LOS, queer+z, 360,
- Transgender people : TGNS, Épicène, CheckPoint, VoGay, Trans welcome, brochure
- Unil/EPFL students: PlanQueer
- Guide « Travailler la diversité »
- Brochure « Les droits des personnes LGBT »
- Memento « Diversité de genre et d’orientation sexuelle »
- 360, Magazine LGBT suisse
- The French brochure « La Cour européenne des droits de l’homme et les droits des personnes LGBTIQ* » presents seven cases from all over Europe and explains in an intelligible language the argumentation of the European Court of Human Rights for the admission or rejection of the appeal.
Queer apéros EPFL
- Are you LGBTIQ+, pan, ace, non-binary, questioning, or any ally?
- Would you like to meet likeminded students or colleagues from the EPFL LGBTIQ+ community?
- Come join the queer apéros every last Thursday of the month, at 7pm in Lausanne.
Follow a workshop
- Attending a workshop is a great opportunity to learn about LGBTIQ+ identities, gender and sexuality, and examine prejudice, assumptions, and privilege.
- We help organise workshops and we can also direct you to a resource that does.