November Blog Post

A lot of times we do or say simple things without putting a lot of thought into them. One of those things is claiming to be an ally of a group. This is not something that I had previously put much consideration into, but after reading Jamie Utt’s, So You Call Yourself an Ally: 10 Things All ‘Allies’ Need to Know, I definitely put a second thought into what being an ally really means. The quote from this piece that stood out to me the most was, “The moment that we decide ‘I am an ally’, we’re in trouble”.

            The most important thing I learned from this article is that being an ally is not about a title, it is about your actions. In order to be a good ally, it is important that you are not putting yourself first. Additionally, allies should not choose to align with a group to be recognized as anything, but simply to be supportive and there when people need you. The article also explains that the actions of an ally are measured and recognized in a specific moment, and that allies are not defined by their past actions even if they were positive. For this reason, consistency is one of the most important qualities in an ally.

            Although this article focuses on allies of the LGBT community, there are definitely other places in life that individuals can be allies of a group. One place I see this type of relationship is in sports fans. It is definitely a very different idea from the article, but I think a lot of things match up. Thousands of people claim themselves as fans, but thousands of people also claim themselves as a member of a team which is where the problem lies. For example, many people claim, “I’m a Seahawk” in referring to the idea that they are a fan of the Seattle Seahawks. Even though this is something I am extremely guilty of doing, I think it is definitely a claim that we should be more mindful of using.

Individuals who claim themselves as a member of these teams are not giving credit where credit is due, and sometimes attempt to claim the successes of others. Just like being an ally depends on showing your actions, being a fan relies on actions as well. Fans who stick with a team through and through can definitely identify themselves as loyal, but we all know the many people who only stick with a group through fair weather.

I think this trend is definitely seen in the LGBT ally community as well. When a group works so hard toward a goal but experiences a failure or a roadblock, it is not often that the entire group sticks with it. Those who do would be considered great allies, and those who choose to leave probably would not.

Collectively, it is a lot more difficult to be an ally than we often imagine. Allies have to be okay with giving a lot and taking nothing. They also have to be willing to commit to a group through thick and thin and exemplify actions in each situation and each moment. We don’t have to be an active member of the LGBT community, and we don’t have to be a die hard sports fan to be supportive, but we do need to consider our actions before we claim ourselves as an ally of either.