Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Center
Allies
Allies are important to the LGBTIQQ Community, and there are many LGBTQA groups on campuses throughout the country. Allies help others understand the importance of equality, fairness, acceptance and mutual respect.
Getting Involved as an Ally
- Gay-Straight Alliance - The easiest way to get involved as an ally to work with the Gay Straight Alliance(GSA). The GSA seeks to work with both the LGBTIQQ and straight communities in order to help change the campus climate at URI. The GSA works on a variety of different projects including World AIDS Day, The Day of Silence and National Coming Out Day.
Email uri.gsa@gmail.com to get involved. - Safe Zone - Safe Zone trainings are available for all groups that would like to learn about how to be an Ally and be introduced to terms and language used in the LGBTQ Community.
Or visit the website: URIGSA.weebly.com
Educating Yourself as an Ally
Here are some helpful ways to be an ally to the LGBTIQQ Community. To learn more about the LGBTIQQ community come to a LGBTQ Center event or visit the Links section on the left.Five Simple Ways To Be An Ally to Transgender People
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Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover - Refer to a trans person by the gender pronoun (e.g. he, she, her, him) and gendered terms (e.g. Sir, Ma'am, man, woman, father, girlfriend) that he or she (or zie*) prefers, not based whether the trans person passes convincingly to you as a man or a woman. If you are not sure, ask and respect the answer. Never call a trans person it or thing; this is degrading and dehumanizing. *Note: Zie (pronounced zee) is a third gender English pronoun preferred by some people who don’t identify as men or women. The possessive form is hir (pronounced heer).
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Silence is the voice of complicity. - Elie Wiesel - When you hear people making fun of transgender people, break the silence. Challenge their hurtful and abusive behavior.
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A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. - Shakespeare - Never ask a trans person to tell you his or her “real” or birth-assigned name. If he or she wishes to share this information, respect this confidence and don’t repeat it to others without specific permission. A trans person’s “real” name is the one that the trans person chooses to use now. Resist the urge to mention a trans person’s “old name” and gender when discussing him or her with others outside of his or her presence. Don’t disclose a person’s experience, past, or identity as trans to a third party without permission.
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Treat others as you would like to be treated - It is extremely rude to ask trans people intimate questions about our genitalia, past-gender name, or surgical status. Would you want casual acquaintances to ask you about the size of your sex organ or whether you shave your genital region?
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Biology is not always destiny - Don’t judge a trans person’s validity as a man or a woman based on whether or not he or she has had medical intervention or one of the various sex affirmation surgeries available. A trans person may not have had medical intervention due to religion, financial, or personal reasons. Don’t assume a person is less of a “real” man or woman if he or she has chosen not to take hormones or have surgery at this time.
Ten Way to be an Ally for LGBTIQQ Students, Faculty and Staff
- Use Inclusive language
- Listen and be supportive
- Know the resources available on campus
- Create an inclusive environment
- Keep current with LGBTiQQ student issues on campus
- Include LGBTA books and videos in your office/library
- Be proactive in making changes, don't wait for a problem to arise
- Don't tolerate intolerance in the office or with students
- Understand that there might be distrust from students or staff that are LGBTIQQ
- Understand the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity and expression
Ally Resources
Ally Links
Top 100
Thanks to the work of the URI GLBT Center, the University of Rhode Island was named in The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students!
