Abuse is an issue often whispered about in corners, or hidden behind through romantic movies and music. Depicted as the new normal, very few stand against it. This month we step out out of the shadows and we shine light on this topic that often leaves us with few words to say. As we leave behind 2016 and enter into the new year. We uncover ways to deal with abuse and how to speak out. We will nolonger stand in shame but we will step out from the confines of society.

In the past few years, we have gone a long way from the society of only embracing girls who fit into size zero clothes. To the hip hop craze of 'big booties' and curves. Although our perception of beauty has changed our influence of what it means to be beautiful is still largely defined by society and the media. This month we celebrate the people in society who dare to be different and we at The Safe Zone say NO to body shaming! We learn what it means to be suffering from an Eating Disorder with the help of Project ED. And we take an in-depth look at how much the society and media truly affect our perception of beauty. Although we believe that true beauty lies with who we are inside, the real question remains what does beauty mean to you? Will you dare to be different this August or will you stay under the confines of what other people define as beautiful? Our Faceclaim of the Month: Rebel Wilson

Happy July everyone!! I know for some this means sparks and fireworks especially for all those Cancer/Leo children around. Happy birthday to all!! But in tune with celebrating life and all that it has to offer we would like to take this month to talk about suicide awareness and self harm. Self harm has been an issue that is either whispered in hallways or romanticized in media so much so that its often portrayed as art, beauty. But pain isn't beauty and neither is suffering and this month we take an in-depth look into what it really means to live with scars. We also join forces with @no_suicide for our monthly competition as well as lots of interesting interviews from our Wattpad campaigns where they share their stories with us and what drove them to start their campaigns. From all of us at TheSafeZone remember you are never alone and your life has a purpose! Link to the petition: https://www.change.org/p/roman-prezioso-west-virginia-education-budget?recruiter=486806834&utm_source=petitions_show_components_action_panel_wrapper&utm_medium=copylink Warning: Due to this issue's sensitive topic, the magazine may seem a little biased to not give the wrong message. We definitely do not condone the use of self-harm as a coping mechanism or suicide as a way out. If an article is heavily opinionated, we put a warning. Thank you for reading!

Happy Pride Month everybody! Last year we all stood proudly as gay marriage was finally legalized in all 50 states within the US, but this year let's stand and remember all four corners of the world where we are still a far cry from actual acceptance . In this issue of The Safe Zone magazine, we discuss what it means to be gay in an illegal world. The devastating effects of a world where being free to love whomever you wish is still not a part of the constitution. Ryan takes us through the journey of coming out; a struggle many of us have faced or are still yet to face and because we know this is a life long journey we take an educational look at different genders and sexuality within the community. Also, look out for our monthly competition and all the amazing campaigns we will be featuring and interviewing throughout the month of June. Stand gay and proud! Note: This issue was published fairly late this month, but we will get the next issue up promptly at the beginning of July. Thank you for your cooperation!