Supporting the LGBTQ+ Community can be more than showing up for parades during Pride month. This blog includes four ways one can be an LGBTQ+ ally all year long, both directly and indirectly. Whether it’s being mindful of our language, supporting LGBTQ+ businesses and artists, advocating for policies, or checking in with a LGBTQ+ friend or relative, this blog will explore a few ideas anyone can practice.
Using Your Voice
One of the most challenging things for me growing up as a gay person was feeling isolated from others. Even though, as a child, I wasn’t quite sure what being gay was. I got a sense at the time (the 1980s) that same sex attraction and an expression of that attraction was not acceptable. It is so important to know that we are accepted by our peers and by the adults in our lives in our formative child development years and adolescence. This acceptance helps build self esteem, supports emotional regulation, encourages healthy relationships, and promotes mental well-being.
Using your voice in support of the LGBTQ+ community means using respectful language. First, the use of respectful language means to acknowledge a person’s identity and not make assumptions. For example, ask for and correctly use gender neutral terms such as “them/they”, “spouse”, or “partner” when someone’s identity is unknown. Also, respectful language involves being open to a gentle correction if there is a mistake. Simply apologize briefly and correct yourself. Finally, be curious, open, and willing to update your vocabulary as this communicates care and respect.
For more about this, check out this blog.
Support LGBTQ+ Voices and Businesses
Support of LGBTQ+ voices means intentionally engaging in reading books, listening to podcasts, or watching films created by LGBTQ+ writers, artists, and storytellers whose work reflects a broad range of identities and experiences. There is a rich history of activists, educators, and artists from the LGBTQ+ community to explore as well as current content creators. Also, supporting businesses owned and operated by members or allies of the LGBTQ+ community all year round is helpful. The Human Rights Campaign has a Corporate Equality Index that researches the practices of different corporations and publishes their findings. For more about this, check out this site.
Advocate and Get Involved
There are many resources, organizations, and websites that offer valuable information, advocacy, and support for the LGBTQ+ community and their families. These include organizations such as GLAAD, which works to promote acceptance through education and media. The Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and resources to youth. PFLAG offers support and education for family members and allies of the community. Also, there are helplines that serve the community such as the Trans Hotline and the LGBTQIA+ National Help Center. For more information and links to these organizations, click here.
Getting involved can include things such as supporting political candidates that are advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, volunteering at organizations, or educating yourself and staying informed of the current issues of the community. One suggestion is learning more about the mental health and well being of the LGBTQ+ community. There are many risk factors that affect the community that require extra support.
There’s more information about that on this blog.
Be An LGBTQ+ Ally
To be an ally is a big way to support the LGBTQ+ community. Being an ally can mean showing up through actions, words, and attitudes that affirm the dignity and humanity of the community. They recognize bias when it shows up in themselves and in others, and show compassion and understanding for the unique needs and challenges that face the community. It can mean implementing policies in your work space or classroom that are inclusive and safe for the community. Establishing and implementing anti-bullying and anti-discrimination policies can foster a safe space and promote support for the community all year round.
In conclusion, this blog covers four ways that one can be a LGBTQ+ ally beyond Pride Month. One can use their voice, be an ally, support businesses owned by the community, or get involved with organizations that help.
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Do you know of others, or wish to share your experiences in being an ally?Join the conversation in the comments below!
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