Keesha's House

Throughout the book, Keesha’s house represents a safe space. It’s a place young people can go and stay for as long as they want. At Keesha’s house, they’re not exposed to abuse or predation. Katie addresses the safety of Keesha’s house through the symbol of knocking. At Katie’s house, her stepfather knocks on her door, but the knocking is perfunctory: He’ll enter without her consent. At Keesha’s house, the knocking represents consent. Katie says, “If Keesha wants to talk to me, she knocks / first, and if I want to let her in, I do. / If I don’t, I don't. It’s my choice” (14).

A key part of safe spaces is empowerment. At Keesha’s house, the teen characters have a semblance of control. They’re not constantly exposed to their flawed or abusive families, nor are they bombarded by external threats. When Harris moves into Keesha’s house, he’s not only protected from the anti-gay bias of his father but the anti-gay beliefs of others. Dontay jokes with Harris about his gay identity, but Dontay can tease Harris because Dontay supports him.

Another central part of safe spaces is mutual concern.