Thumbtack Ally Week: How to be an Ally

At Thumbtack, we’re invested in creating an inclusive work environment for all that celebrates our differences and our unique perspectives. Through our eight Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) — Access, APACtacks, NobleTacks, Parents, Proudtacks, TackVets, Vamos and Women — we foster connections, provide support and create opportunities to share and learn from one another.

Our ERGs create a safe community for those who self-identify as Black, Latinx, Asian, LGBTQIA+, Parents, Women, Veterans or Differently-Abled — and foster intentional discussions while also providing space for allies to show support.

This week, Thumbtack is dedicating a full week to celebrate our diversity and to help our fellow Thumbtackers learn how to best be an ally. Our ERG leaders held a powerful panel discussion to share their own personal experiences with allyship and how we can all be allies.

Here are some of the key actions we learned:

• Ally is a verb. Taking time to reflect on your actions and their perceived and real impact can make all the difference.
• Showing up for oneself is the most important first step in showing up for others. It’s important to understand how our backgrounds shape our opinions and can sometimes create unconscious biases that we need to overcome/educate ourselves on.
• Avoid making assumptions. You can’t understand someone’s story just by looking at them. Take the time to get to know their stories so you can be inclusive and supportive.
• Do your research. Understanding someone else’s perspective can help start a conversation.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Asking someone for permission to ask hard questions will often lead to the most honest answers and understanding.
• Acknowledge the impact of the world around us. Try to be mindful about what’s going on in the world. The news and media can have a huge impact on the experiences an individual is experiencing.
• Be intentional and assume good intentions. Remember that while you might not get it right every time, you can do your best and assume others’ intentions are coming from a place of goodwill.

Our ERG leads also shared specific ways one can ally with their particular group.

Access

Not every health issue is visible to the naked eye. Some of our friends and coworkers suffer pain and don’t let on. Understanding no one has the same health issue, and everyone handles their own differently. This may cause an ally to be unprepared to help, but listening and being there are paramount and is often the best thing you can do.

APAC Tacks

Educate yourself on Asian American history, culture, and identity. Many people don’t realize that the massacres and mass murders of Asians in the US began shortly after 1860 which was then followed by the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, which prohibited all immigration from China. These actions and laws weren’t fully dissolved until 1965 and their impact is still felt. Today, the effects can be seen in fetishization in Hollywood and its negative effects on women in the community as well as in Asian American discrimination during the Coronavirus pandemic.

NOBLEtacks

It’s important to learn about issues that are systemic and affect the entire Black community, but also recognize individual perspectives and how those experiences can vary vastly from person to person. By studying and researching the challenges and systemic issues specific to the Black community you can avoid relying on a Black individual to educate you. This shows a willingness to learn and to seek out the resources to learn first, then ask questions.

Parents

Parents wear many different hats while we are figuring out new norms at home. Every day with children is different and being patient with parents while our worlds constantly change is highly appreciated. Kids are unpredictable and while we would love to have routine days, that isn’t our reality. The number one way to be an ally to a parent is to be flexible and understanding. Be mindful of scheduling, if a team member has childcare blocks, don’t assume you can schedule over those.

Proudtacks

The words you use have power, so understand a person’s pronouns. Use gender neutral verbiage to provide inclusion in a conversation if you don’t know, but also take the time to ask. If you make a mistake, it’s okay, acknowledge it, correct yourself, and move on. This is part of the learning process. Also try to avoid gender-coded language. It’s almost always better to politely ask rather than assume someone’s gender identity and/or sexual orientation.

TackVets

Being a vet is an identity that comes with a ton of nuance and presents differently in different contexts. As in most cases, the experience of being a vet the answer can vary depending on the person/vet. Some may have had a purely positive experience and others could have experiences that lead to PTSD or some form of disability, visible or otherwise. Try to acknowledge not just their service, but the specifics of their role.

VAMOS

Learn and correct common misconceptions that stand in the way of building inclusivity in our community such as recognizing that Latin & Hispanic are terms that describe ethnicity. It does not mean we can be recognized or lumped as a single race or even language (i.e. Brazilians are Latino, but not Hispanic as they speak Portuguese and not Spanish). Our ethnic background means we share aspects of national or cultural identities. In spite of our ethnic commonalities, we are not a monolith, but an incredibly diverse group. We are Indigenous, AfroLatinxs, Asian Latinxs, Arab Latinxs, etc.

Women

Establish zero-tolerance for lewd comments, discrimination, and sexual harassment. Speak up and don’t tolerate or excuse bad behavior. Educate yourself about important women in history and their contributions. And also research the history of women in our society and the historical challenges and discrimination they have overcome. Additionally, ensure the content you consume be it movies, literature, or art is gender balanced. Watch movies directed and produced by women. Read authors who identify as female. Seek out art made by women.