Safe Space

A safe space is a place that provides safety for a person, whether it be a physical location or state of mind. The safe environment allows the person to be themselves with fear of judgment, criticism, or harm.

Safe spaces became prevalent in the U.S. in the 2010s to protect marginalized people from hateful speech, prejudices, and offensive issues. These spaces are especially common on college campuses where ideas are often exchanged among diverse groups of people. While safe spaces have helped vulnerable groups, such as the LGBTQ and African-American communities, the idea has come under fire for suppressing free speech when ideas cannot be freely exchanged.