There are many forms of systemic oppression occurring both
in the United States and around the world, where those in the dominant group
reap unearned benefits based solely on their pre-disposed genetic identities.
It is common for people to feel overwhelmed by it, or feel as if there is
nothing they personally could do to stop or prevent this kind of discrimination
from happening, however, one way to overcome this feeling of immobilization is
to become an ally. Becoming an ally not only benefits those in non-dominant
groups, but it also can instill hope and change within oneself. It can provide you
with a new sense of being, direction and purpose.
So what is an ally? A common definition of an ally is a member
of a dominant group in society (e.g. heterosexuals, men, able-bodied
individuals, White Americans, Christians) who make a conscious effort to
dismantle any form of oppression for those in the non-dominant group (e.g.
homosexuals, those with disabilities, minorities). An important community to
serve as an ally for is LGBTQ people. LGBTQ is a commonly used acronym for
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and queer or questioning. LGBTQ
individuals experience unique life stressors that often result in various forms
of physical and psychological distress. Stressors such as internalized
homophobia, heterosexism or anti-gay hate crimes can lead to chronic stress and
other health disparities for an LGBTQ person. Unlike racial or ethnic
minorities who grow up living with family members from their same cultural
group, LGBTQ individuals are generally isolated and virtually always in the
minority group due to their sexuality.
There has been extensive literature highlighting how LGBTQ
individuals experience higher levels of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem,
low social support, substance abuse and suicidal ideation due to antigay
attitudes or behaviors and discriminatory laws against them. Not only are they
marginalized by the dominant cultural but also by their friends and family who
disagree with their lifestyle. Serving as an ally to combat the oppression
these individuals experience through social, political and economic means can
often involve taking risks. It means being proactive and intentional and talking
to other dominant group members about their behaviors that discriminate against
those who are not as privileged as them.
Serving as an ally means fighting for equality and justice
for all people. It means giving everyone, regardless of skin color, gender, sexual
orientation, disability status or religion, an equal opportunity to obtain a
healthy and successful life. It involves serving as role model for others and
raising your voice when people are being treated unfairly. Although serving as
an ally can be exhausting at times, it is one of the first steps to fighting
oppression and making a change for those who do not have the opportunity to do
so for themselves. To learn more about how to become an LGBTQ ally, visit www.glaad.org or www.pflag.org.
Drea Aoun, M.S.
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