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Friend, As we celebrate Pride Month this June, allies can be a powerful source of support for the LGBTQ+ community. A recent four-year project by the Harvard Business Review found that three components are commonly cited by LGBTQ+ people for effective allyship: being accepting, having humility and taking action. Here are some suggestions to help ensure those components are part of your allyship – not just during Pride Month but beyond: Being accepting • Let your LGBTQ+ friends set the tone for discussing their identity. • Assure them that disclosing their orientation or identity doesn’t change your feelings for them. • Don’t assume that LGBTQ+ people are homogeneous. Understand their diversity and distinct identities. Having humility • Be a good listener. Listen more than you speak during discussions of LGBTQ+ issues. • Be open to learning. Accept feedback and correction during discussions about LGBTQ+ matters. • Don’t assume that because an LGBTQ+ person has come out to you, that they’re out to everyone. They should control when and to whom they come out. • Listen to the terms LGBTQ+ people use to describe themselves. Never assume you know their preferred pronouns. Introducing yourself with your pronouns is a good practice that provides an opportunity for a person to share their pronouns.
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