In a joint statement with the airport, Novak said a safe space was one where the LGBTQI+ community can freely express themselves without fear. It does not guarantee 100 per cent safety, rather, it’s a space that “has your back” if an incident (violence, bullying, or hate speech) were to occur, he said.
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Artist Shannon Novak started the Safe Space Alliance, a website with a register of places across the globe that are recognised safe spaces for the LGBTQI+ community. “So if I walked into the airport holding hands with my partner, and someone started hurling homophobic abuse at me - I would feel confident knowing I could alert someone in the airport to the behaviour and be supported. “