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June is Pride Month, a month dedicated to the celebration of LGBTQ+ communities around the world. The LGBTQ+ Special Interest Group would like to wish all BABCP members, LGBTQ+ folks and Allies alike, a happy pride month.
If you aren’t sure what an ‘Ally’ is, this is a term used for those who actively support LGBTQ+ people. This month, we’ve got 6 top tips below for how to be a great Ally – not just through Pride Month, but all year round!
Did you know? LGBTQ+ community members can be Allies, too, for other members of the community. For example, a lesbian who is an Ally to the bisexual community.
So these tips are here for everyone!
These could be about a person’s own gender and pronouns – for example assuming a person uses the pronoun ‘he’ or ‘she’ based on their appearance, name, or other non-specific characteristic.
We can also make assumptions about a person’s sexuality – for example asking someone about their ‘husband’, ‘wife’, ‘girlfriend’ or ‘boyfriend’ etc. without them having referred to that person in this way.
These are just a couple of examples of the assumptions we might make about a person’s gender, sexuality or pronouns. Try to notice and remember what words a person uses to describe themselves rather than labelling them.
Not knowing much about the LGBTQ+ community is OK, it’s a learning opportunity, and there are so many ways to increase your knowledge and understanding!
There are lots of podcasts, articles, books and online videos that can increase your understanding, check out the video in ‘further resources’ below.
Following LGBTQ+ people on social media can also be a great way to listen and learn from those from the LGBTQ+ community.
You may come across terminology (perhaps even in this article) which you are unfamiliar with. There are great resources online explaining terms you might hear, like this glossary.
The lunchtime webinars we hosted earlier in the year are free to access and a great place to start learning more!
We can all get things wrong at times. This could mean using the wrong pronouns or making assumptions about a person gender or sexuality. If this happens, apologise, use it as a learning opportunity and move forward with your new learning.
If someone comes out to you, which can include mentioning that they are a member of the LGBTQ+ community casually, please be kind and make it clear you support them.
If you encounter any form of discrimination (this could be homophobia, transphobia or any derogatory comments based on a person’s race, gender, age, or sexual orientation), ask the person if they are OK and if they want your support to report the incident.
You can show your Allyship by supporting the LGBTQ+ community. If you are a member of the BABCP and haven’t done so already, why not join the LGBTQ+ SIG? There may also be LGBTQ+ networks in your workplace which Allies are able to join.
Why not attend a Pride event? There are places online to find out about Pride events that are going on in your region, click here to search for an event near you.
You might also consider supporting national LGBTQ+ charities like the LGBT Foundation (a Health and Wellbeing charity), Not a Phase (a charity dedicated to awareness campaigning, social projects and funding new initiatives for the trans+ community), or Stonewall (a charity fighting for the freedom, equity and potential of LGBTQ+ people everywhere). You could also look for smaller, local LGBTQ+ charities in your area. Supporting these charities doesn’t have to mean donations, you could also volunteer, fundraise or simply follow them on social media.
If it feels safe for you to do so, sharing your pronouns in visible places, such as in your email signature or next to your name on Teams or Zoom, signifies to all that you recognise the importance of pronouns to many LGBTQ+ people.
Further Resources:
Seven ways you can be an LBGTQ+ Ally at work (Stonewall)
What is a True Ally? (YouTube)