Why Being An LGBTQIA+ Ally is Important
The month of June has come and gone. You may have noticed more rainbow flags, company logos being changed to the colors of the rainbow, and various signage. June is known as pride month. Your town may have held parties, a parade, or get-togethers celebrating everyone.
Now that a few months have passed, you don’t seem to see the same support anymore. The rainbow flags have been replaced with American flags or various sports teams. Company logos have returned to their normal brand guidelines color schemes. And all of the signs have made their way into dumpsters and recycling bins.
But now you’re wondering why this doesn’t happen more often. Why is only one month of the year dedicated to supporting and honoring the LGBTQIA+ community? This is what it means to be an LGBTQIA+ ally and why it is important.
Educate Yourself
One of the best places to start as an LGBTQIA+ ally is by taking the time to learn and familiarize yourself with the community and how the world views and treats them.
Take the time to learn about the history, terminology, language, as well as struggles that the community faces. To truly learn, you must be willing to actually listen. You’re more than welcome to ask your friends or loved ones who have personal stories to share. Keep in mind that you must educate yourself because it isn’t their job to teach you.
Check Your Privilege
Privilege comes in many forms. Even some members of the LGBTQIA+ community may be privileged in some way. Privilege could mean education, race, gender, or class. Everyone has struggles in their life. It’s important to know that you don’t know everyone’s back story or what type of day they may have had. Privilege doesn’t mean that your life is easy, it just means that there are some situations that you won’t have to worry about because of the way that you were born. That’s okay, as long as you’re taking the time to learn, understand, and empathize.
Don’t Assume
You know what they say about assuming. Along with learning, it’s important to not assume. Just like you shouldn’t assume something about someone else, like if someone is pregnant, you shouldn’t assume if someone is straight, gay, bi, trans, etc. You also shouldn’t assume that you know what their preferred pronouns are.
Give everyone – loved ones and strangers – the space and time to be their true selves. Over time, they’ll build trust and be able to open up to you.
Be Active
Being an ally is more than just saying you’re an ally. An ally means putting those words into action.
It’s easy to call yourself an ally or to throw up a post on social media sharing your support, but you can do better than that. to be an ally, you need to show your support and defend the LGBTQIA+ community against discrimination.
Being an active ally could mean speaking up against hurtful comments and jokes, donating to a supporting cause, and even taking the time to confront your own unconscious bias.
Next Steps
Being an LGBTQIA+ ally is extremely important. It’s a lot more than just stating the fact that you’re an ally. It also means supporting the community year-round instead of just one month out of the year. Being an ally involves listening, learning, and supporting 365 days a year. An ally is a lot more than just a label you attach to yourself. Stand up for what you believe in.
Allies can actually be some of the most powerful voices of the LGBTQIA+ community. Let your voice be heard and your support show.
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