There are many different things that you can do to be a better ally to the LGBQ community, but today I’m going to tell you 6 different very important ways.
The first thing that you have to do is just be open to both learning and criticism! A big part of being supportive of your LGBTQ friends is having a true understanding of how people actually treat them in the world. It’s a very obvious thing, but it makes a huge difference. You can learn by Googling things, and by asking questions. Just make sure your sources are reputable!
The second thing to do is to not assume things about people. You shouldn’t assume that all of your friends or classmates are strait. You shouldn’t assume someone’s pronouns as you don’t know what they identify as if they don’t tell you.
The third is that you can’t just call yourself an ally. The term ally is not a label, you have to think of it as an action. Oppression never takes a break so you have to be willing to support to your best ability. You should let your friends know about anti-LGBTQ jokes that they make even if you might be scared to confront people.
The fourth and maybe the most important is confronting your own biases, even if they might be unconscious. Single stories can be a very harmful thing for people because it makes people assume things about a group of people. Think about the jokes you make, and if you wrongly assume someone’s gender, just be sure to apologize and correct yourself.
The fifth and last thing is the fact that language matters. Many of us respect when someone changes their nickname, so it should be no different when someone in the LGBTQ community changes their pronouns or label. If you are unsure of someone’s pronouns you should respectfully ask, instead of assuming.
Thanks for reading!
-Phin Brown
