Be an Ally / Find an Ally

Be an Ally / Find an Ally #

What is Ally-ship?

Ally-ship is used in contemporary social justice activism to describe efforts by groups of people, to advance the interests of marginalized groups, both in society at large, and within in particular social contexts, such as universities or workplaces. The term and related behaviors are controversial, with critics alleging that it is an ideological, performative, and insincere term that may ignore prior concepts of tolerance and solidarity.

How can you take action as an Ally?

• Dialogue and Ally-ship
  Moving toward positive change will require people to listen and engage in genuine, diverse, and sometimes uncomfortable conversations about differences and ideologies about the LGBTQIA+ community. Being in structured, well-facilitated, and open dialogues that affirm the diversity and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ allow personal and community learning.
• Cultural Consciousness
  The process of developing awareness of culture in the self, which can result in expanding understandings of culture and developing deeper cultural knowledge about other individuals and contexts.
• Advocacy and Partnerships
  Through collective advocacy, we enable partners to benefit from each other's comparative advantages and leverage, while respecting each other's independence, uniqueness and diversity of interests.
• Inclusion and Accountability
  A willingness to see these differences and to make an effort to promote equity eliminating "otherness" even while acknowledging difference. Allies do not speak for or over the communities they support, they stand with them. It's hard, it takes practice, but it makes for genuine community.