LGBTQueer-ies Celebrating 2020 PRIDE
7 Easy Ways To Be an Ally When You’re Cishet
Your voice matters for equality even if you’re cisgender and straight.
As someone who is cisgender and straight, it has taken me a while to understand how to be a good ally to the LGBTQ+ community. When my child came out as gay and then transgender, it was never difficult to be a supportive parent — he’s my son and I love him. However, it took some time for me to learn how to foster my acceptance as a mom into support for an entire community he became a part of.
Below are seven ways you can become an ally to LGBTQ+ folks locally and globally.
1. Listen to the LGBTQ+ community.
This is probably the best advice of all. Pride Month is the perfect time to seek out information. Although the pandemic has canceled many large public events, there is a plethora of online meet-ups and small gatherings worldwide. Conversation and discussion are key to promoting the knowledge necessary to understand one another.
2. Learn some terminology.
It’s much easier to be supportive when you understand what is being discussed. If you hear or read a term that is not in your vocabulary, look it up. With a smartphone, it literally takes less than a minute to find the definition of any word.
3. Educate yourself.
Don’t assume LGBTQ+ folks are required to teach you why equality is important. Be a good ally and seek out the information for yourself. Learn all you can about LGBTQ+ history. Pick up a book on Stonewall and learn why it’s important. Google some of the pioneers and front-runners like Miss Major, Marsha P. Johnson, Harvey Milk, Arsham Parsi, Laverne Cox (to name just a few) to learn how they’ve helped the human race and the LGBTQ+ community.
Youtube is also a great place to find educational information. There are some very interesting videos out there that foster understanding.
4. Voice your support.
Being an ally means you actively express your support for equality. Speak up when you notice discrimination or bullying — especially of LGBTQ+ youth who might feel unable to defend themselves. The act of one person speaking up for what is right can have exponential effects on those who hear her words.
5. Support equality with your vote.
In the U.S. we have the awesome ability to legally cast our opinions. As an ally, take full advantage of this and vote for those who support LGBTQ+ rights and equality at the local, state, and federal levels.
6. Choose to spend your money with companies who care.
The easiest way to support LGBTQ+ folks is by doing business with those who care as you do. There are some companies out there who do not support the LGBTQ+ community and others who blatantly choose to work against equality for all. These companies don’t deserve your hard-earned money.
The Human Rights Campaign makes it easy to support businesses that truly understand equality and practice it. They meticulously rate and grade companies based on their equality practices so we don’t have to.
There are also apps that help you ‘vote with your wallet.’ They make it easy to choose where to spend your money based on your opinions and beliefs. Buycott is a popular one my teenager uses. She likes being able to quickly lookup any store or restaurant when she’s out with her friends.
7. Donate to LGBTQ-rights charities.
There are so many great charities doing amazing things for the LGBTQ+ community. Ask a loved one if they have one dear to their heart. Or consider The Trevor Project. It’s a wonderful organization that focuses on crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth.
Being an ally means taking the initiative to show your support. It means using your voice and actions to ensure equality for LGBTQ+ folks. Show your love and acceptance. Celebrate PRIDE this year as an ally.
Zada Kent is co-founder of LGBTQueer-ies where the focus is on education to foster understanding, acceptance, and equality of all human beings, and proud parent to her young adult transgender son. For all parents of transgender kids here are 10 Questions Every Parent Should Ask Their Transgender Teen.
