November Blog Post

I believe now more than ever it is important to be an ally. This was true even before Trump became the president elect. With him winning the presidency though, this proves that our nation is okay with turning a blind eye to bigotry and the hatred of minorities. Minority groups need to know that there are people who they can turn to, people who are willing to listen to their voice. Allies can truly never understand the pain, because as an ally we are not members. As an ally though we can open our arms and welcome those who feel rejected. We can support those who fighting a just and valid cause in our nation to be thought of as equals.

It is hard for me to believe that their are people who chose to be an ally for fame. I know that people will do anything for the attention. It saddens me though that people don't do the work and are okay to take all the credit. The thing I have to blame for such selfish behavior is social media. Social media makes it so easy to appear one way, but in reality be the complete opposite. I think it is important for us as members of this society to weed out those people. Don't call them out point blank, because who are we to do that if even we haven't made mention to the cause? What we can do though is start taking action. If you see something that is truly upsetting you speak up, act out, and get involved. I know that at first I was a little hesitant to stand next to my friend when she decided to go into to drag. I lived in Idaho, one of the most conservative places in the world (at least it feels like it). I knew though that I cared deeply for Shaun. I wanted to support him, so I got out there I helped him with some of her first looks, and I walked him in marches. It took me out of my comfort zone completely, but I knew I was standing up for something I knew was right. Doing that made me feel empowered, made me feel happy. I was supporting someone I knew I cared about, and knew that my support meant the world to him. He didn't have to stand alone anymore, and he was so much more outgoing having his little support group with him.

It's important to make people feel like they are not alone. We shouldn't just want to do it for what rewards may come our way if we stand up. We should want to do it for those we love, for the future, and those who have sacrificed a lot before us. As an ally we should never lose the passion that ignited our fight. I know when Shaun moved away I stopped going to a lot of events. I know that I am not as active in the community as when I first started, but I know I still have the passion to fight and stand with the LGBTQ+  community. I think that's what is most important, that as allies we stay passionate and we are always welcoming to those who feel threatened and rejected because of who they are.