The Importance of Allyship
We hold an influential factor in empowering members of the LGBTQ+ community.
I was at my university putting things away in my dorm room when my best friend walked in. He was agitated and in a state of shock. I asked him right away what was wrong, and he put his bag down on the floor and just responded with “You won’t believe what just happened to me.”
“What happened?” My friend continued to tell me how he was walking across campus towards our dorm room when a Jeep of four guys drove by. He had his headphones in but was still able to hear them. He heard these guys yell out their windows “faggot” as he walked by.
I could not believe what I heard; I was almost speechless. The only words I could muster up were, “Really? Are you serious?” My friend is not always a person who shows when something really bothers him. However, this time was different. I could see the hurt look in his eyes and that this time did get him. I could see it bothering him even after we had talked about it in the dorm.
He was not the only one; I was furious. How is it possible that someone can act so immature, ill-advised, and ludicrous? It is just thoughtless hate by men who lack understanding and basic human respect for others. Why would you to yell a stupid derogatory term at anyone? What goal does that accomplish? How does that benefit you?
Allyship to the LGBTQ+ community is extremely important. Though people in the LGBTQ+ community are determined and strong, they still benefit and are backed by the support of others.
Merriam-Webster defines the noun ally as “one that is associated with another as a helper: a person or group that provides assistance and support in an ongoing effort, activity, or struggle.”
This is a pretty good definition of what it means to be an ally. However, this definition means more than words put together in a sentence. I always feel like it is hard to sum up what allyship to the LGBTQ+ community means in so few words.
Youth Engaged 4 Change shared an article about Being an Ally to LGBT People that goes more into depth about this true meaning. It states that that the word ally represents three main ideas.
- A person who has a genuine, strong concern for the well-being of LGBT people.
- A person who supports and accepts LGBT people, and advocates for equal rights and fair treatment.
- A person who confronts challenges that LGBT people experience and believes that we face these problems in society. These include heterosexism, biprejudice, transprejudice, and heterosexual privilege.
These ideas are some of the most important I have discovered on my road to allyship. I’ve learned that I cannot solve all of the challenges that those in the LGBTQ+ community face alone. However, I can acknowledge these struggles and help make others more aware. A 2017 article from The LGBT Bar talks with two board members, Rick Richardson and Adeel Mangi, about How to Be an Ally and Why it Matters.
The article says, “support for the LGBT community ensures that its members have equal opportunity to succeed and that the challenges faced by those within the community are addressed.”
I am still learning daily about what it means to be an ally, and how I can best show support for all those in the LGBTQ+ community. Nonetheless, I started seeing social media influencers who stand up as an example for allyship that I can look to for guidance as an example. The most notable activist and influencer is Sander Jennings.
Sander Jennings is a 22-year old man who is now working towards his Master’s in Digital Strategy. However, he is more well-known as a big brother of Jazz Jennings. Jazz Jennings is the star behind the show I Am Jazz that shows her life and her story as a transgender woman facing discrimination and triumphs.
Alongside his sister Jazz, Jennings has spent his life serving as a role model for others on “how to properly love and support your LGBTQ+ sibling.”
Jennings wrote on his website “I spread motivational messages to encourage others to follow their passions and stand up for what they believe in. I have also begun to use my large social media following to spread love and acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community. I have made it my mission to fight for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community because I believe all people deserve equal protection in society.”
He uses his social media pages on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook as a platform to help spread awareness and support for those in the LGBTQ+ community. He shares how impact and importance of allyship with his large following and how incredibly significant it is to keep a positive outlook through advocacy.
Taylor Nolan had the chance to talk with Sander Jennings on her podcast, Let’s Talk About It, this past April. Among talking about his positive attitude throughout COVID-19, his passion for digital marketing, and his outlook on dating, “he discusses how becoming an ally to the LGBTQ community became so important to him and what his allyship looks like.”
Jennings stated in the podcast that “I recognize my voice in that for every LGBTQ+ person, there is likely an LGBTQ+ sibling. I meant not an LGBTQ+ sibling, a sibling, and many friends who need to be there for them. So I felt like there weren’t too many role models who were constantly an active ally 365 days a year. So that’s when I started doing on my social media on top of just starting to showcase who I was.”
He continued saying “It’s your choice to be an ally. I didn’t have to be an ally to my sister, and so many siblings of LGBTQ+ people are not allies to their siblings and so many parents as well. You know what’s not a choice, identifying as transgender. Being gay. That’s not a choice. But being an ally is a choice.”
This really resonated with me. I have never been the most active ally, but I have since started to change my ways. I have gained a greater respect for people within the LGBTQ+ community and their strength. Even before I started interacting in more conversations about the community, I began to educate myself more and more.
In the podcast, it stood out to me the influence of allyship and its honest impact. Taylor Nolan made a statement about Jazz Jennings and other people in the LGBTQ+ community; that we need to just let them live their lives. They should not have to constantly fight and explain themselves for being who they are.
The majority of people outside of the LGBTQ+ community are not subjected to this type of personal questioning because of the heteronormative world we live in. It is important that people in the community have allies that they can rely on for support, and who are actively willing to communicate their rights as people.
I am far from being a perfect ally, but it is more important than ever for me to constantly look for information that can help me become a better supporter and advocate.
