Photo Credits: Alex Radelich from Unsplash
Welcome to our blog, friend! This week’s blog is a crash course on allyship, with some tips on becoming an ally!
Allyship: Aiding the Alienated
Being an ally, by definition, is to “unite or form a connection or relation between” (Merriam-Webster). The allyship we are discussing focuses on non-alienated groups supporting the alienated, whether they are alienated by race, religion, sexual orientation, or other factors. The act of allyship promotes social justice and basic human rights, pushing our society closer to living equally and peacefully.
Why Be an Ally?
Everyone is born into different cultures that shape who we are, on top of the skills and traits we develop that make us unique. However, society has deep roots of hatred that place certain people above others and alter opportunities. Allyship works to disassemble the walls that prevent these marginalized groups from succeeding, but it all starts with recognizing your privileges. As a cisgender male looking for jobs in my final year of high school, my gender identity was not something I would have to account for when applying. Compare my experience to someone who is transgender where they would have to worry about laws in areas that could have them fired due to their gender identity. The need for allyship does not pertain to just the LGBTQ+ community; supporting fight against the struggles of women, people of colour, and people with disabilities are all areas where allyship is needed. Here are 3 tips that can help you become a better ally.
3 Tips to Be an Ally
1. Understand Your Goal and Your Role
Although you are supporting the issue, your voice is not the most important one! As Franchesca of chescaleigh says in her video on the same topic; “Speak out, not over.” Ensure you understand what you are supporting by getting it right from the source, the alienated groups you aim to help, and plan how you can utilize your platform to make a difference.
2. Stand Behind What You Say
Ally is a verb, an “action word” like they used to say in school. Simply changing your logo colours or putting out a Tweet is not enough. Make donations, change who you support, share issues that affect those groups. Do what you can with what you have and proudly stand behind it.
3. Look for Inspiration
You do not need to re-invent the wheel! Look at some brands that are well-known for their allyship to not only get ideas on how to implement these movements into your own brand, but to educate yourself more on what is going on. Ben & Jerry’s is an incredible example of one of these brands, with social-justice themed ice cream flavours that raise money for issues stemming all the way back to 1987! On top of this, they regularly make infographic posts on their media to inform their consumers on issues.
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