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The LGBTQ+ community has experienced discrimination in many different forms over the years. Various members have been the victims of this kind of discrimination, and it has affected people’s ability to thrive in the real world, and even to simply be treated like a human being. That’s why it’s more important than ever for people outside of the LGBTQ+ community to support LGBTQ+ individuals and causes – you need to be an ally.
But, what is an ally in this context? To be an ally is to be somebody who actively supports LGBTQ+ individuals and the community – it means that you’re somebody who supports the cause of the community and you support the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. More than that, it means you’re willing to speak up on their behalf and advocate for them.
So, if you’re interested in what it means to be a true ally of the LGBTQ+ community, we’ve put together a list of things that you need to do in order to be an ally.
1. Educate Yourself and Ask for Guidance
The best place for you to start your journey of becoming a supportive ally of the LGBTQ+ community is to educate yourself and ask for guidance. Learn about the community and learn about the experiences of LGBTQ+ people – finding out what they go through and gaining insight into what life is like for them will allow you to be empathetic and supportive.
But it’s about more than just finding out about people’s experiences. Along with the LGBTQ+ community comes a vast amount of language and concepts that you need to familiarize yourself with. Whether it’s specific terms about people within the community or their experiences, it’s essential that you make an effort to understand these things to ensure that you’re better equipped to be an ally.
Most importantly, if you don’t understand something or you want to learn more, ask for guidance, and you’re sure to be met with people who are happy that you are keen to learn.
2. Listen and Make an Effort to Understand
One of the most important things you can do to be an ally is listen. Whether you think you understand things or you have no idea, you always need to take the time and make the effort to listen to what people have to say. Allow LGBTQ+ people to speak for themselves and teach you about their experiences and their cause.
But remember, it’s about more than just not speaking when somebody else is talking – it’s about consciously making an effort to listen and understand.
3. Advocate for the LGBTQ+ Community
Being an ally is about more than just quietly supporting the cause and the rights of LGBTQ+ people. It’s essential that you also advocate for the community – speak up on occasions when it’s necessary, and don’t allow yourself to be another person who is quiet and too afraid to speak up.
But it’s about more than just speaking up when something goes wrong – as a true ally of the LGBTQ+ community, you should advocate for the LGBTQ+ community at every opportunity you get.
4. Use Inclusive Language
Language is a very important part of being an ally, even though a lot of people believe that it’s neither here nor there. In fact, language is an integral component of most parts of our lives and our opinions, and it influences our beliefs and our feelings. Thus, it’s essential that we are conscious of the language that we use when it pertains to LGBTQ+ issues.
5. Speak Out Against Discrimination Against LGBTQ+ Individuals
We’ve already mentioned that it’s important to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community – and in that sense, we’re talking a bit more about generally speaking up for the community and individuals when issues arise.
But, the other issue is speaking out against discrimination, which may seem like an obvious thing to do, but in practice, it can be a lot more difficult than you may think. Sometimes, to speak out against discrimination can put you at risk – whether that’s a real risk or the risk of social persecution. Either way, it’s essential that we speak out against discrimination and that we do so boldly.
6. Confront Your Own Prejudices and Biases
One of the most difficult things to do is to confront and accept your own prejudices and biases – these are things that we come to believe throughout our lives, and it’s incredibly difficult to reverse a lot of these beliefs.
However, the first step is to open yourself up to the fact that you do potentially have opinions and biases that may not be good – it’s normally, most people do. But as soon as you’re willing to accept that you may have prejudices, you’re one step closer to being able to understand these biases and prejudices and doing something about them. It’s incredibly challenging, but it’s essential that we all spend some time being self-reflective in order to be an ally of the LGBTQ+ community.
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