How to Be a Good Ally: The Do's and Don'ts

You don’t have to be LGBTQ+ yourself to be an ally. In fact, support from cisgender, heterosexual people is becoming an increasingly important factor in progressing LGBTQ+ rights. Jaya Khanna and Phillip Thomas from Marsh McLennan discuss the value of authentic allyship, providing top tips for those who want to expand upon their support for the community.

WHAT TO DO

- Empower yourself and read up about gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation

- Be a good listener

- Understand that gender is not binary and clarify your own misconceptions

- Use inclusive language when communicating (ask people their pronouns / look at their pronouns on email communication and use the one they identify with, ask about their partner instead of assuming boyfriend/girlfriend)

- Treat your queer friends' partners as you would treat those of your straight friends

- Stand up against bullies and those who display transphobia/homophobia

- Try and create an environment where they can comfortably share their own experiences

- If you witness microaggressions at work, speak up

- Don’t share information about someone’s gender identity without their consent

- Break free of your stereotypes about queer people. Not every gay man loves fashion, not every lesbian has short hair, not all queers are into being ‘fabulous’. Thinking each queer is the same would be like reducing all pasta to spaghetti.