General Ground Rules for LGBTA Group Discussions
1. Listen actively -- respect others when they are talking.
2. Speak from your own experience instead of generalizing ("I" instead of "they," "we,"
and "you").
3. Do not be afraid to respectfully challenge one another by asking questions, but
refrain from personal attacks -- focus on ideas.
4. Participate to the fullest of your ability -- community growth depends on the inclusion
of every individual voice.
5. Instead of invalidating somebody else's story with your own spin on her or his
experience, share your own story and experience.
6. The goal is not to agree -- it is to gain a deeper understanding.
7. What happens in the discussion group stays in the discussion group.
8. Group facilitators may also create or change the ground rules if it is deemed
appropriate for the specific discussion group.
9. There may be occasions in which visiting students will come to participate in the
group discussion as a class assignment. If there is a request for visitation, group
facilitator(s) will check to see if the group will allow a visitor into the discussion. It is
at the discretion of the discussion participants and the facilitator(s) to allow visiting
students to attend scheduled discussion groups.
10. If you have any questions or concerns with the discussion group contact the group
facilitator or one of the center core staff members (Eddie [eddie@psu.edu], Allison
[afs11@sa.psu.edu], and Brian [bjp226@sa.psu.edu])
.