Allyship within the LGBTQIA+ Community

Firstly, you’re probably wondering what is an ally?

Minus18 describe an ally as “…someone who supports and advocates for the equal treatment of a community other than their own”. For this article, we will be focusing on allyship and the LGBTQIA+ community.

It is okay to want to be an ally, but not know where to start. The most important thing is to do your research and respectfully ask questions to continue learning.

Becoming involved with the queer community is probably something that is very new to a lot of you as international students coming to live in Australia. That’s okay, we are here to support you so that’s why for this week’s article we will be sharing with you some simple steps you can take towards being an ally.

Have you heard about pronouns? They are words used to refer to a person instead of their name. Some are gendered (she/her/hers, he/him/his) and some are gender neutral (they/them/theirs). It is important to use the correct pronoun because it affirms the way someone feels about themselves. This is a great first step in acting as an ally, because we use pronouns in our day to day conversations. This is part of how we can be visible in our allyship. You can also do this by sharing your own pronouns. It’s super easy to do this such as next to your name on Zoom or in your email signature. You could even get a pin and add it to your lanyard or on your bag.

Something to remember is that a person’s pronouns may not match how they appear to you. This is why it’s important to know what people’s pronouns are. Pronouns can also be used in any combination such as She/They, He/They, She/They/He.

If someone discloses to you that they are from the LGBTQIA+ community, you should ask respectfully what pronouns they use and then use those pronouns. You can also correct anyone who misgenders this person by using the incorrect pronouns. For example, if your friend Jin uses pronouns he/him/theirs and someone refers to Jin using she/her pronouns then you can respectfully tell this person that Jin uses he/him/theirs pronouns. It’s okay to make the mistake sometimes, you can apologise before moving on and trying to continue learning. Repeated mistakes can count as bullying and harrassment as it indicates a lack of respect.

If you want to read and learn more about pronouns and inclusive language when speaking languages other than English, check out this resource by Wear It Purple.

Next up, is learning continuously. There are lots of training resources available, a great one being the ally@UNSW training. This training is free and available for UNSW College students too. You can also learn by asking questions of friends who are a part of the queer community too. As long as you are genuine and respectful with your questions, I’m sure your friends would be more than happy to answer and help you to learn and understand!

Lastly, get involved! Attend events such as Mardi Gras, IDAHOBIT, Pride Month, Wear It Purple, or other pride related events within your local community. There is nothing better than immersing yourself within these events to learn and meet others from the LGBTQIA+ community!

There are also plenty of activities you can do to replace screen time:

• Cook with family or friends. It is always more fun to cook with someone else, and you’ll be less likely to want to watch a video while you cook if you do this!
• Get active. This could be as simple as going for a walk. Immerse yourself in the beautiful city you live in and take in everything around you!
• Read a book. It’s surprising how quickly you can lose yourself in a good story! You don’t have to stay home to do this either. In summer, I always go to the beach in the evening for a quick swim and then I love reading a book while the sun sets before I go home. In winter, my favourite thing to do is find a warm, sunny spot in a park and read!
• Enjoy arts and crafts, or learn a new hobby! Bonus points if you do this with a friend! Kmart have great (and cheap!!) DIY kits, or you could try signing up to a local group to try something new.