Why Allies Matter

Did you know your LGBT friends and co-workers can still be fired or evicted in 29 states?

Did you know that 76% have personally experienced discrimination?

Think about it. Would you be confident that the world would fully accept your son or daughter if he or she came out?

There are a lot of us.

The same action taken by a straight person vs. an LGBT person has a different impact.

Ellen Degeneres is expected, but Clint Eastwood endorsing marriage equality made a big splash.

People listen better when they hear things from people they see as similar to them.

Straight allies were very effective advocates prominently featured in the successful marriage equality campaigns of 2012.

Unawareness: Many of us don’t realize that vast legal and social inequalities still exist (or example, only 10% of Americans know their gay friends can still be fired or evicted in 29 states).

Fear: Others worry that they have no place speaking on behalf of a community they are not a part of, or that their friends and colleagues will assume they are gay.

Paralysis: Even those who want to help rarely know what they can do, because there is no clear “ask” for what allies can and should do to create change.

Unawareness

Build awareness  by making the issues relevant to people's everyday experiences in the places they spend most of their time - at work and school

Fear

Create a community of allies so people don't feel they are alone in speaking up, and start to consider being an ally to be part of their identity

Paraylsis

Pave a path of small, regular actions allies can take to make an impact