Being an Ally: World Book Day 2023

Product Information

Denial that the problem is fixable: “Toes getting stepped on is a fact of life. You’ll be better off when you accept that.” To be truly anti-racist, confront the parts of yourself that you hide.’ Photograph: Suki Dhanda/The Observer Reacting in a fair and equitable way isn’t about learning arbitrary rules or being a doormat. Rather, it's about restoring and maintaining dignity and respect for everyone involved - both the person who is hurt, and you. Still, it’s hard to remember in the moment, because these issues are so charged in our society. As such, it may be helpful to reframe the situation so that you don’t feel defensive. LGBTQIA is an acronym that collectively refers to individuals who identify as in any of the following ways: Think of pain as a gradient—it doesn’t have to be extreme to have a significant impact. Accidentally misgendering someone can cause them pain. Stepping on someone’ toes can cause them pain. Attributes of a good apology

Believe others’ experiences. Don’t assume something couldn’t happen just because you haven’t personally experienced it.Stop the pattern: be careful where you step in the future. When it comes to oppression, we want to actually change the “footwear” to get rid of privilege and oppression (sneakers for all!), but metaphors can only stretch so far! You could begin with doing something as easy as reading a glossary of terms and teaching yourself the right language to use when talking with LGBT+ people. It’s a tiny but crucial step you can take to educate yourself and make sure you are using the terminology to be respectful to everyone around you, and help yourself to feel more confident when discussing LGBT+ issues. 2. Educate yourself on the history of LGBT activism A growing movement lobbies for dropping the rapidly growing acronym and replacing it with the umbrella term GSM, standing for “gender and sexual minorities.” To be an LGBT ally is easy. If you agree in equality and fair treatment in society of people who identify as LGBT then already you are an ally. As you sit and read this you can bask in the warm glow and sense of self-satisfaction that you are a force for good in the world. Well done. In reality, most of us naturally know the right way to react when we step on someone’s toes, and we can use that to help us learn how to react when we commit microaggressions.

Being an ally is not an easy thing for everyone to do and it is not something that you can just stand there and say “I’m an ally for race equality”. It’s about taking serious action and putting some real energy into those actions. Test Prep Insight's College Guide and Resources For LGBTQ Students: This guide covers all aspects of college life for LGBTQ students, including common challenges, tips for integrating into campus life, and perhaps most importantly, guidance from experts on navigating college relationships. I once worked for a software company that was acquired by a larger company. In the first few months following the acquisition, I noticed something interesting. My new manager, Digby Horner—who had been at the larger company for many years—said things in meetings along the lines of: “What I learned from Karen is the following...” Finally, this is a resource to help anyone considering allyship better understand the pros and cons of what being an ally entails. Allies understand their role in collaboration with people whose lives are affected daily by systemic oppression. An even more comprehensive (though still not exhaustive) acronym is LGBTQQIP2SAA: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex, pansexual, two-spirit (2S), androgynous, and asexual. Here’s a more detailed explanation:Still I think guides, texts, and collections like this are really great to have because no matter where you are in your understanding of privilege and being an ally it is great that awareness is there; and that you are trying to work on being a more informed and active member in fighting against white supremacy, while also learning how to do that without talking over people of color and the other voices you are trying to stand with. So overall I think this is a nice place to start but those who are wanting a more nuanced and layered text may want to look somewhere else. Microaffirmation #11: Establish ahead of time what behaviors and skills demonstrate proficiency and leadership in a role If someone is in any doubt, they should ask themselves: am I acting because it’s the right thing to do, to centre the needs of others, or am I doing this for myself, to feel better and make myself look good? It’s easy to imagine that when you come across discrimination or hateful language you will whir into action, righting wrongs and effortlessly challenging the behaviour and views of people speaking and acting in a hurtful manner. The reality can be very different and truthfully, sometimes standing up against discrimination can be an intimidating experience. The important thing is to let your voice be heard and although it’s not always easy, these are situations where being an ally really counts. It’s important to let those with bigoted views know that they are not in a world where they can marginalise or bully those that need our support - and this is really the essence of what being an ally is all about. Further information Many self-defined “allies” wear the phrase and ideology like an article of clothing, easily discarded when it’s no longer fashionable to wear.

Allies: Real Talk About Showing Up, Screwing Up, And Trying Again” by Shakirah Bourne and Dana Alison Levy is a welcome addition to the expanding space surrounding how to be an ally. Through the lens of 16 the different pieces numerous issues were explored. Things such as race, gender identity, disability. Each piece was told in an authentic way that posed important questions for readers to reflect upon. While it may be presented as a book for Young Adults, I think that it serves as a great introduction for teens (high school) and adults of all ages on what allyship is all about. For me, being an ally is one the best parts of my job, not because I’m the head of diversity and inclusion, but because I believe that everyone should be able to bring their whole selves to work. Many trainings and articles about microaggressions focus on how you can intervene in the moment, which is a crucial part of allyship. But in addition to intervening, there are other important ways to support people who experience microaggressions, systemic inequities and other barriers to opportunity — and one way is through microafffirmations.

2. The Champion

Listen and ask questions when someone describes an experience you haven’t had. Don’t jump in with your own personal stories. Many would-be allies fear making mistakes that could have them labeled as “-ist” or “-ic” (racist, sexist, transphobic, homophobic, etc). But as an ally, you’re also affected by a system of oppression. This means that as an ally, there is much to unlearn and learn—mistakes are expected. You need to own this as fact and should be willing to embrace the daily work of doing better. People perform better when they can be themselves. We want you to help us make Imperial a place where everyone can bring their best selves to work, and a place where all our students feel safe and included. an ally has to do constant self-interrogation because it's hard to correct a bias that you don't know exists." (pg. 101)