Coming Out as a Straight Ally
What is an Ally?
In the broadest sense, an Ally is "a person who is a member of the dominant or majority group who works to end oppression in his or her private and professional life through support of, and as an advocate for the oppressed population" (Washington & Evans, Becoming an Ally).
Allies to racial, religious, and ethnic minorities have been remarkably effective in promoting positive change in the dominant culture, and only recently has their instrumental position been extended to the area of sexual orientation.
Straight allies are some of the most effective and powerful advocates and sources of support for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender movement.
An Ally Strives to...
- be a friend
- be a listener
- be open-minded
- have his or her own opinions
- be willing to talk
- commit him or herself to personal growth in spite of the discomfort sometimes caused
- recognize his or her own prejudices
- join others with a common purpose
- believe that all persons regardless of age, sex, race, gender, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation should be treated with dignity and respect
- engage in the process of developing a culture free of homophobia or heterosexism
- recognize his or her mistakes, but not use them as an excuse
- be responsible for empowering his or her role in a community, particularly as it relates to responding to homophobia
- recognize the legal powers and privileges that heterosexuals have which GLBT people are denied
As important as it is to define what an Ally is in a positive sense, it is also helpful to understand the boundaries of an Ally’s role.
AN Ally is not...
- someone with ready-made answers
- necessarily a counselor
- expected to proceed with an interaction if levels of comfort or personal safety have been violated
-- Adapted from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation