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Parliament repeals Section 377A, endorses amendments protecting definition of marriage

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93 MPs voted in favour of the repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code, following a 10-hour debate over two days. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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Awareness for SG's LGBTQ+ community

This page was designed to educate international Singaporeans and the rest of our global community on the hardships and discrimination members of the LGBTQ+ community in Singapore still face in modern society. It also sheds light onto the local communities stories as well as including activist groups work, who are striving to make real change in Singapore.

Our Goal: Our mission is to inform and educate those who come across this page and lend a helping hand to those in need

Please check out the different pages on our site! Which offers both information and support for LGBTQ+ Singaporeans

We are three UWCSEA Dover students who created this site for our community action project in our global citizenship class. In order to raise awareness for a global issue, particularly one that affects Singapore. We could not think of a better issue to face than the widespread systematic challenges LGBTQ+ people in Singapore still face today.

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Awareness for SG's LGBTQ+ community This page was designed to educate international Singaporeans and the rest of our global community on the hardships and discrimination members of the LGBTQ+ community in Singapore still face in modern society. It also sheds light onto the local communities stories as well as including activist groups work, who are striving to make real change in Singapore.

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PinkNews - Gay news, reviews and comment from the world's most read lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans news service

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Three Singaporean campaigners launched an appeal Monday (25 January) against the decision to uphold a law banning sex between men.

Singapore's gay sex ban dates to 1938, when the city-state was under British colonial rule. It is one of dozens of countries to have retained colonial-era anti-gay laws after independence.

But activists say the legislation jars with Singapore's increasingly modern and vibrant culture.

M Ravi, a lawyer representing one of the activists, said in a Facebook post he had argued the gay sex ban could be deemed "absurd".

The law, known as Section 377A, criminalises "any act of gross indecency" by a man "with another male person". The law is rarely applied, but it carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

In March 2020, the Singapore High Court dismissed three challenges to the law, which it heard together. The appeals were brought by Johnson Ong Ming, a DJ; Bryan Choong Chee Hoong, the former executive director of LGBT+ organisation Oogachaga; and Roy Tan Seng Kee, a retired medical doctor.

The three argued that 377A was enacted in 1938 to curb commercial gay sex amongst British civil servants in colonial Singapore; that one's sexual orientation cannot be changed; and that gay and bisexual men are "doubly criminalised" by the section.

However, the High Court disagreed and dismissed their claims.

According to the , the trio will appeal the ruling, saying that the judge's interpretation is wrong. Tan said the judge hearing last year's case was wrong to reject arguments the legislation breached several articles of the constitution.

These include the right to equality before the law, the right to life and personal liberty and the right to freedom of expression.

At the time of the 2020 ruling, Téa Braun, director of international LGBT+ legal support group Human Dignity Trust, said the court had "reaffirmed" that all gay men in Singapore are "effectively un-apprehended criminals".

"Now, more than ever, we stand in solidarity with Singapore's LGBT+ community, and firmly believe that justice will, in the end, be delivered, no matter how long it takes," Braun said.

Singapore gay sex ban challenges rejected twice.

In October 2014, the Singapore Court of Appeal declined to remove the country's anti-gay law from the statute books. It held that LGBT+ people would have to wait for reform of Section 377A to come through parliament.

When asked about the future of Section 377a, Singaporean prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said the law would be around "for some time".

In 2019, the prime minister said: "Whatever your sexual orientation, you are welcome to come and work in Singapore. It is the way this society is: We are not like San Francisco, neither are we like some countries in the Middle East. [We are] something in between, it is the way the society is."

There has been progress on LGBT+ rights elsewhere in Asia.

In 2018, India's Supreme Court decriminalised gay sex by overturning legislation from its own time under British rule.

Taiwan legalised same-sex marriage in 2019, making the island the first place in Asia to do so.

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Singapore's 'absurd' colonial-era gay sex ban is unconstitutional, argues fresh appeal

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Three Singaporean campaigners launched an appeal Monday (25 January) against the decision to uphold a law banning sex between men. Singapore's gay sex ban dates to 1938, when the city-state was under British colonial rule. It is one of dozens of countries to have retained colonial-era anti-gay laws after independence.

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Tips on how to support LGBTQ+ (and staff) at school

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Tips on how to support LGBTQ+ (and staff) at school

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Do not discuss students sexuality or gender identity with them unless they talk to you first about it

Use more inclusive language

Visibly show your support to students and colleagues by adding your pronouns to your email

Avoid and address microaggressions

Evaluate your curriculum and assess opportunities for Queer inclusion

Article here

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Navigating Non-Binary Life. A memoir. This is a great read although UK-centric.

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It's not super well written-what does 'pretty much all situations in life are not fictional' even mean?? Why do they use the word 'hilarious' so often to describe things that are not particularly hilarious? Using clichés is one thing, but misusing them is another-sorry I'll stop-but it is occasionally quite funny, and it was helpful to me to hear echoes of the experiences I've had in the very strange two months since I tried on a dress. And I've only really dipped my toe into enbyness; I think o...more

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It's not super well written-what does 'pretty much all situations in life are not fictional' even mean?? Why do they use the word 'hilarious' so often to describe things that are not particularly hilarious?

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Booker Prize winning. in 2019. This is such a beautifully written book. The characters are so authentic, layered and interesting.  *TW - sexual assault

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be a person with knowledge not just opinions

A few weeks ago, I tried my hand at answering one of The Guardian's Book Q&A questions and one of the more memorable Qs was which book have you read do you wish you'd written? At the time, I answered predictably and generically but now I would like to emphatically change my answer because, THIS, this is the book I wish I'd written.

It is also the book I wish I'd read when it came out. A book I wish would never end. And literally the best...more

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be a person with knowledge not just opinions A few weeks ago, I tried my hand at answering one of The Guardian's Book Q&A questions and one of the more memorable Qs was which book have you read do you wish you'd written?

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will tell you to... hate sexism,
protect your 🤬 energy,
life is short, dump them,
And that you owe men nothing, least of all pretty. (IB Students appropriate)

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Women Don't Owe You Pretty book. Read 697 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. WOMEN DON'T OWE YOU PRETTY will tell you to... lov...

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SINGAPORE - Three people were arrested for taking part in a public assembly without a permit outside the Ministry of Education (MOE) headquarters in Buona Vista on Tuesday (Jan 26), police said in a statement.

The police added that the trio, whom they did not name but said were aged between 19 and 32, were released on bail at about 10pm.

Investigations are ongoing.

The three were among a group of five people who allegedly staged a protest outside the building at about 5pm on Tuesday, carrying placards stating "#FIX SCHOOLS NOT STUDENTS", "WHY ARE WE NOT IN YOUR SEX ED", "HOW CAN WE GET A's WHEN YOUR CARE FOR US IS AN F", "trans students will NOT be erased" and "trans students deserve access to HEALTHCARE & SUPPORT".

The police said that when officers arrived at the scene, only three individuals remained.

They have been identified by activists as Elijah Tay, Lune Loh and Kokila Annamalai.

They were warned to cease their activities, as they were liable for an offence, but they ignored the police's warning and continued with their activities, police said.

"The group was then issued with a 'Move-on' direction under Section 36 of the Public Order Act and were told that they would be arrested if they failed to adhere to the direction," said the police.

"The three refused to comply despite the police's repeated warnings, and were arrested under the Public Order Act at around 5.35pm," police added.

They said that five placards, two multi-coloured flags and a blue bag were seized in relation to the case.

The protesters had, at around the time of their gathering, issued a statement to the media saying they were a group of students and supporters calling on MOE to end discrimination against LGBTQ - lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer - students in schools, adding that it is a longstanding issue.

The protest comes after a transgender pre-university student diagnosed with gender dysphoria said in a Reddit post this month that the MOE had blocked her from getting hormonal treatment.

The MOE had said this was not true, as it was not in a position to interfere with any medical treatment, which is a matter for the student's family to decide on.

In their statement, the police said that organising or participating in a public assembly without a police permit is illegal and constitutes an offence under the Public Order Act.

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Three people arrested for protesting outside Ministry of Education headquarters

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SINGAPORE - Three people were arrested for taking part in a public assembly without a permit outside the Ministry of Education (MOE) headquarters in Buona Vista on Tuesday (Jan 26), police said in a statement. The police added that the trio, whom they did not name but said were aged between 19 and 32, were released on bail at about 10pm.

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President Joe Biden has had an energetic first few days setting out his wide-ranging agenda on LGBT rights.

Many advocates commended the decision to include pronoun choices in the White House contact form.

The new president has also addressed workplace discrimination and transgender rights in the military.

This focus on LGBT rights is being seen as a marked shift from the Trump administration.

Only a matter of days into his presidency, Mr Biden has set the tone for his administration's culture when it comes to gender inclusivity.

On Thursday, 24 hours after his inauguration, the White House released its new contact form, which includes the option for users to select their pronouns of choice, first reported by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

The revamped website allows users to select from a dropdown list of pronouns which include "he/him", "she/her", the gender-neutral "they/them" or "prefer not to share".

The contact form has also been updated to include the gender-neutral prefix Mx, alongside the more traditional Mr, Mrs and Ms.

So, what are gender-neutral pronouns?

A gender-neutral pronoun refers to a person who is non-binary - meaning they do not identify as only male or female, or may identify as both.

As the English language doesn't have a defined gender-neutral pronoun, a common choice is "they/them/theirs", which is used singularly in this case. It is an alternative to "he/him/his" or "she/her/hers".

In recent years, there has been a growing urge for people to share their preferred pronouns upon meeting and through correspondence - particularly in email signatures.

A number of companies have also made inroads on gender inclusivity in the workplace.

In 2019, The Chicago Tribune reported that IBM had published a white paper on gender transition. Similarly, Quartz reported that financial services firm TIAA issued new guidelines for employees to share their preferred pronouns with clients.

The LGBTQ+ Resource Center at the University of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, adds that asking someone their preferred pronoun, as opposed to assuming from how they present, is a sign of respect for their gender identity.

Why do pronouns matter?

While the Biden administration's contact form may seem like a small step, many see it as sending a powerful message.

"It signals out of the gate, that this administration values diversity and inclusion," Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO of Glaad, told BBC News.

"We know that when people are recognised for who they are and how they present they are less likely to harm themselves and feel more included in society."

A study by LGBT suicide prevention organisation The Trevor Project found that young people whose pronouns were respected attempted suicide at half the rate of those whose pronouns were not.

For Aithan Peterson, 35, being able to use their preferred pronouns has been liberating. "It was something that I immediately identified with," they said.

Peterson also explained that when someone begins a conversation by asking for their preferred pronouns, it puts them at ease.

"Otherwise I'm having to work it into the first minutes of a conversation with someone you don't know well," they said.

"It takes a little bit of the weight off self-advocacy."

The new White House contact form contrasts starkly from Mr Trump's first days in office.

In January 2017, the previous administration immediately removed a web page dedicated to LGBT rights that had been designed by the Obama White House.

Although non-binary is not a recognised legal identity at the federal level in the US, a number of states, like Oregon, California and Colorado, do offer non-binary options on identification documents such as drivers licenses.

In 2016, former soldier James Shupe became the first person in the United States to gain legal recognition of his non-binary identity in Oregon.

However, in 2019, Mr Shupe announced that he no longer identifies as non-binary and has returned to his "male birth sex".

One of the flurry of executive orders that the president signed on his first day upholds the Supreme Court's ruling from June 2020 which prohibits workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

In a statement, Alphonso David, president of LGBT advocacy group Human Rights Campaign said this executive order was "the most wide-ranging executive order concerning sexual orientation and gender identity ever issued by a United States president."

On Monday, President Biden also signed an executive order that reversed the Trump-era ban on transgender people serving in the military.

Mr Biden has also begun the process of diversifying his administration from the top down. Pete Buttigieg's nomination as transportation secretary means that he is likely to soon become the first openly gay cabinet secretary in US history.

Similarly, the nomination of Dr Rachel Levine as assistant secretary of Health and Human Services would make her the highest ranking transgender official in US history, if confirmed by the Senate.

According to Ms Ellis, the Biden administration has already shown its commitment to all Americans in a short space of time. "In their first 48 hours they are the most LGBTQ progressive administration we have ever seen," she said.

The Biden administration has brought LGBT people into a conversation that they have been intentionally excluded from for the past four years.

This is only day six, but there have already been some historic moments.

For LGBT Americans, and their allies, it will be reassuring that President Biden is delivering on his election promises so quickly.

Leaders of international LGBT organisations have told me they are "breathing a sigh of relief", and they expect these changes will be felt beyond the US.

Those at Stonewall, Europe's leading LGBT charity, said they hope that this era will "set a new tone on the world stage that LGBT rights are not something to be debated, but rather protected and progressed."

However, with the Democrats' wafer-thin Senate majority, some LGBT people are cautious about celebrating the future "too soon".

Many tell me they are "worried" that the Biden administration will not be able to secure enough votes to push through all of their intended LGBT policy changes.

But if they can, the future looks even brighter for LGBT Americans.

Has there been any criticism?

In 2019, a Gallup poll found that 71% of Americans support transgender people serving in the military.

And the president's decision to repeal Donald Trump's ban was met with praise.

"Any individual qualified and capable of joining the military should have the right to serve, period," said Jennifer Dane, Executive Director of Modern Military Association of America - the country's largest non-profit dedicated to LGBT military and veterans.

However, conservative critics say it comes with a price tag.

"President Biden is diverting precious dollars from mission-critical training to something as controversial as gender reassignment surgery," said Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council.

A Pentagon study suggests healthcare costs would be below $10m a year.

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President Joe Biden has had an energetic first few days setting out his wide-ranging agenda on LGBT rights. Many advocates commended the decision to include pronoun choices in the White House contact form. The new president has also addressed workplace discrimination and transgender rights in the military.

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Community-based, non-profit, professional organisation working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals, couples and families

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Oogachaga is a community-based, non-profit, professional organisation working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals, couples and families in Singapore since 1999.

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Oogachaga is a community-based, non-profit, professional organisation working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals, couples and families in Singapore since 1999.

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LGBT community space and resource centre

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Singapore's very own LGBTQ resource centre

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Non-profit movement

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LGBTQ+ community-based Facebook group

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The power of a GSA (Gender- Sexualities Alliances)

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The power of a GSA (Gender- Sexualities Alliances)

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Why groups like PRISM are important for students' wellbeing.

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And gay students needed them. Middle- and high-school experiences are formative in part because these years are marked by puberty and, often, one's earliest romantic relationships; it's a time when young people might engage in their first sexual encounters too. These experiences are also formative because of how dramatically the brain grows during adolescence, developing a propensity toward risk taking and self-awareness. Without the right guidance and support, such instincts can result in interpersonal conflict and self-hatred. Collectively, these characteristics make adolescence an especially vulnerable and volatile chapter-and, Jennings and others suggest, are why GSAs are so crucial.

The clubs worked; in a way, they worked magic. Research shows that GSAs can have a sizable positive impact on campus climate for gay students, correlating with a reduced prevalence of anti-LGBTQ remarks and reduced harassment of gender nonconforming teens. Catherine Lugg, an education professor at Rutgers who studies LGBTQ issues, has described GSAs as "the most potent forces for institutional change" at schools.
Watch: Bridging the LGBTQ generation gap
The challenge is that access to GSAs has always been uneven. That the GSA movement grew largely out of America's most prominent, and elite, boarding schools is noteworthy, as is Lane's observation that the LGBTQ movement owed much of its initial success to "white, largely male, largely affluent communities." "That foundation of privilege," Lane suggests, probably helped normalize the LGBTQ cause. There are regional disparities too. While widespread in some parts of the country, they're rare in large swaths of the Midwest and the South. Today more high schools do not have GSAs than do.

This unevenness is part of why, despite all the change of the past 30 years, GSAs are still working to save lives in America's high schools. A recent study found that lesbian and bisexual adolescents ages 12 through 14 were four times as likely as their straight, male peers to have previously attempted suicide. LGBTQ youth accounted for one in every four youth suicides from 2013 to 2015, the study found. Most at risk of suicide are trans youth.

Lane, who's straight, began researching GSAs in the early 2000s as part of his thesis for his master's degree in education. When I asked him what drew him to the topic in the first place, he recounted something a fellow teacher had told him a few years earlier, when a "Don't ask, don't tell"-type culture still prevailed in schools. The colleague, debating whether to come out to her students and colleagues, told Lane that she'd consulted with the head of their teachers' union, who happened to be an LGBTQ-rights activist.

The union leader's response clinched the teacher's decision to come out. "If you do this," the leader told the educator, "you will be saving kids' lives." Embedded in this verdict was the same objective that drove people such as Lipkin, Jennings, and Tentarelli to found the GSA movement, decades ago, and not a moment too soon.

We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.

Alia Wong is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where she covers education and families.

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How Schools Reinvigorated the Stonewall Revolution

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And gay students needed them. Middle- and high-school experiences are formative in part because these years are marked by puberty and, often, one's earliest romantic relationships; it's a time when young people might engage in their first sexual encounters too.

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Using Inclusive language in the classroom

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Using Inclusive language in the classroom

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Use inclusive language to affirm diversity

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Suggestion for implementing the strategy Develop an inclusive classroom and curriculum within the Guide to Supporting LGBTIQA+ students

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Free course: Queering the Schoolhouse: LGBTQ+ Inclusion for Educators

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Free course: Queering the Schoolhouse: LGBTQ+ Inclusion for Educators

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Coursera | Online Courses & Credentials From Top Educators. Join for Free | Coursera

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Learn online and earn valuable credentials from top universities like Yale, Michigan, Stanford, and leading companies like Google and IBM. Join Coursera for free and transform your career with degrees, certificates, Specializations, & MOOCs in data science, computer science, business, and dozens of other topics.

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I misgendered someone: What do I do next?

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I misgendered someone: What do I do next?

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I misgendered someone… | Adventures of Teaching

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My husband, being the supportive and amazing ally that he is, models this perfectly. Just the other week we were at brunch with a close friend, and he accidentally misgendered me:

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We all want students to feel safe and respected and to develop respectful attitudes and behaviors. GLSEN developed Ready, Set, Respect! to provide tools to support elementary educators like you with these efforts. The kit provides a set of tools that will help you prepare to teach about respect and includes lesson plans that can help you seize teachable moments. The lessons focus on name-calling, bullying and bias, LGBT-inclusive family diversity and gender roles and diversity and are designed to be used as either standalone lessons or as part of a school-wide anti-bias or bullying prevention program.

Ready, Set, Respect! was developed in partnership with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), an organization that serves elementary and middle school principals in the United States, Canada, and overseas and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the world's largest organization working on behalf of young children.

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We all want students to feel safe and respected and to develop respectful attitudes and behaviors. GLSEN developed Ready, Set, Respect! to provide tools to support elementary educators like you with these efforts. The kit provides a set of tools that will help you prepare to teach about respect and includes lesson plans that can help you seize teachable moments.

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Young OUT Here. 2,783 likes · 24 talking about this. Supporting Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youths here in Singapore

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Informal social and support group

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Rainbow Parents SG. 652 likes. A place for LGBTQ parents in Singapore to connect.

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TSER's trans-related infographic series. We encourage you to share and print these graphics! Below are the released infographics and corresponding references.

You are welcome to use these graphics in any manner (even commercially) as long as they include credit and are not altered. You do not need to contact us to request permission. Click on the graphic to view full size, related references, links, and discussion.

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TSER's trans-related infographic series. We encourage you to share and print these graphics! Below are the released infographics and corresponding references. You are welcome to use these graphics in any manner (even commercially) as long as they include credit and are not altered. You do not need to contact us to request permission.

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Singapore - lifts ban but blocks path toward marriage equality

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Singapore - lifts ban but blocks path toward marriage equality

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Singapore's parliament has decriminalised sex between men, but has amended the constitution to effectively block full marriage equality.

The British colonial-era law penalised sex between men with up to two years in jail, although the statute was not actively enforced.

The law had long been criticised as discriminatory and stigmatising to the LGBTQ+ community.

The parliament's decision follows previous failed attempts to have the legislation repealed in the courts.

Members of Singapore's LGBTQ+ community reacted with relief.

"The air I breathe is definitely feeling a lot lighter now," Benjamin Xue, a 39-year-old Singaporean gay man told AFP.

Roy Tan, a medical doctor who had once unsuccessfully challenged the law in court, said he felt "grateful and privileged to have witnessed the endpoint in our 12-year-long struggle to strike down [the law]."

He described the repeal as "the birth of a new chapter in the history of Singapore's LGBT community".

LGBTQ+ advocacy group Pink Dot called the repeal a "historic milestone for LGBTQ+ equality."

"I am happy that it had finally happened," said Justin, a Singaporean gay man who gave only his first name for fear of workplace discrimination.

"One less reason for me to hide my true self, because of some archaic law. But this is just the first step to remove the social and religious stigma that has been upon the community because of outdated beliefs, and media censorship."

Singapore's parliament also passed a constitutional amendment on Tuesday, bolstering the existing definition of marriage as between a man and a woman, essentially closing the door on future legal challenges that could establish equal marital rights for LGBTQ+ people.

Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong hailed the twin moves as "a major milestone for Singapore" and praised all parties for showing restraint in a Facebook post late Tuesday.

He said it had taken months of "countless dialogues" involving thousands of people to reach a "national consensus on the path forward" on a divisive issue.

"Taken together, these are balanced, wise steps forward."

Law minister K. Shanmugam had said the existing definition of marriage needed protection because scrapping it could have led to the heterosexual structure being challenged as well.

If the definition of marriage is altered, he said, it would endanger all government policies based on the traditional structure such as those on housing and healthcare.

At the end of the debates on Tuesday, Shanmugam said that repealing the law was "the right thing to do because there are no public concerns that justify private consensual sex between men being a crime."

Minister for social and family development Masagos Zulkifli, whose office tabled the constitutional amendment, said the traditional definition of family was the bedrock of society and changing it to include same-sex marriage was not on the cards.

"Religious leaders, or any licensed solemniser for that matter, cannot solemnise a same-sex couple. This is against the law," he said, while conceding that parliament could revise the law as social attitudes change.

LGBTQ+ community members were dismayed at the constitutional amendment but remained hopeful of further progress.

"I guess it is an uneasy thing to swallow right now," said Xue, but added the repeal of the law criminalising gay sex could begin "opening up the doors to have that frank conversation about our queer lives in Singapore."

"The repeal takes away a lot of the shame. I think people are going to come out a lot more and young people are going to find that the future might be a bit brighter."

Homosexuality is banned in 69 countries, including 11 where it is punishable by death, according to a 2020 report by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.

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Singapore lifts gay sex ban but blocks path toward marriage equality

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Singapore's parliament has decriminalised sex between men, but has amended the constitution to effectively block full marriage equality. The British colonial-era law penalised sex between men with up to two years in jail, although the statute was not actively enforced. The law had long been criticised as discriminatory and stigmatising to the LGBTQ+ community.

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500 Queer Scientists Visibility Campaign

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A visibility campaign to highlight the accomplishments and lives of LGBTQAI+ people working in science, technology, engineering, and math.

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https://www.mbteach.org/pdfs/pd/lgbtq/AQ_Become2SLGBTQIALiterate_MB.pdf

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Guide to being an ally to transgender and nonbinary youth

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Guide to being an ally to transgender and nonbinary youth

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2024 Guide to Being an Ally to Trans and Nonbinary Young People

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The first step to becoming an ally to transgender and nonbinary people is to learn more; thank you for taking that step with us!

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Best Practices for Serving LGBTQ Students

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With this guide, we hope to help teachers and school leaders make curriculum and policy decisions that include LGBTQ students and prepare all students to thrive in a diverse democracy.

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We'd love to show you how your support is helping LGBTQ+ people everywhere to thrive. We need your consent to keep you up to date with our campaigns and events, and what you can do to help make life better for LGBTQ+ people.

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We'd love to show you how your support is helping LGBTQ+ people everywhere to thrive. We need your consent to keep you up to date with our campaigns and events, and what you can do to help make life better for LGBTQ+ people.

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You Belong Here Posters by Emily Meadows

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Shelterbox - 8 Steps to being a better ally

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Shelterbox - 8 Steps to being a better ally

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The Trevor Project - Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth

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The Trevor Project - Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth

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Ally Up! Practice Effective Allyship

President Martha E. Pollack clearly stated in her university message to Cornell students, staff, and faculty that "Our community needs your help. Please speak out against injustice, racism and bigotry, and reach out to support one another. Ours must be a community grounded in mutual respect and kindness" (9/17/17).

This fact sheet contains recommendations on how to practice effective "allyship." Practicing allyship means "living your life [in a way] that doesn't reinforce the same oppressive behaviors [and systems] you're claiming to be against" (Mia McKenzie, "No More Allies," 9/30/13). Rather than an identity, allyship is a practice that needs ongoing work and focus. The suggestions listed below apply to operating in solidarity with and advocating for the rights and well-being of people of different races, cultures, sexes, genders, abilities, ages, faiths, and other identities and affiliations.
Educate Yourself

Learn to actively listen.

Observe dynamics of power and privilege.

Pay attention to who does and does not get positive attention, space, and resources.

Expand your knowledge and awareness of domestic and global social issues by taking courses or reading books and articles.

Identify common micro-aggressions and eliminate them from your words & actions.

Be cognizant of the wide range of cultural and religious holidays, customs (prayer times, Sabbath), associated dietary needs, etc.

Learn about cultural appropriation and how to avoid doing it.

Examine ways societal structures include and exclude groups of people.

Question the perspective of stories.

Ask about things you don't understand, but do your own research first.

Practice Accountability

Focus on your impact, not your intent.

Don't claim immunity to criticism if your impact is inadvertently negative. If you're working to ally with a community, you're almost certainly going to make mistakes.
When you're criticized, use that feedback to ensure you won't make the same mistakes in the future.

Recognize that acting as an ally shouldn't require an audience or getting credit/praise.

Understand the importance of giving something up to ensure that opportunities and resources are distributed more equitably.

Reflect on your social identity and social location and their associated histories.

Avoid retreating into privilege when you're tired, overwhelmed, or don't want to engage. Remember that those with less privilege don't have that option.

Develop authentic relationships.

Lean into discomfort and consider new perspectives.

Challenge assumptions, myths, and misperceptions.

Recognize where you have privilege and how that shows up in everyday actions.

Be empowered to intervene when you observe discriminatory or bullying behavior.

Be a Role Model

Model inclusive language.

Offer kind and constructive feedback to "call in" (rather than judgement or shame to "call out") those who may use oppressive language or actions. Assume there's common ground and be willing to engage.

Resist stereotypes and acknowledge oppressive histories within and outside of your communities.

Raise awareness around different social issues that are left out of discussions.

Talk about the "isms" (e.g., racism, ableism, heterosexism, etc.) and the role they play in current issues, decisions, and events.

Question and critique media bias and representation (or lack thereof) in news and entertainment.

Create diverse leadership structures and pay attention to social identities represented in structures of power, such as campus administration and government.

Encourage your clubs, classes, and workplaces to use inclusive practices and policies.

Support Other Identities and Communities

Listen and act in accordance with marginalized communities' voiced needs and requests.

Affirm identities when you communicate: pronounce names correctly and honor the pronouns an individual uses.

Listen first-or ask how you can support and help-and then work in solidarity with that community.

Talk about self-care and share resources.

Support and help amplify the important work already happening in marginalized communities by leveraging your privilege (e.g., your connections, resources, and access).

Take up less space in conversations and situations where you hold a privileged identity. Listen more.

Promote and attend community events that are open to you.

Respect space intended specifically for different group identities.

Cite your sources and pay attention to who you are and aren't citing.

Do not invalidate other experiences by centering yourself or your cause.

Engage others in communities where you share privilege and social identity.

Take Action

Make a pledge to practice accountable allyship.

Create collaborative events with other student organizations that are inclusive of different social identities.

Vote in student, local, and federal government elections.

Donate time, talent, labor, and financial resources if you are able.

Participate in protests, rallies, and marches and be aware of risks that you and others can and cannot take based on your social identities.

Lobby policy makers. Sign petitions that advocate for socially-just policies and practices.

Volunteer with organizations led and supported by the community they're serving.

Words Matter

The words we use have an impact on individuals and on our community.

If you're not sure what term or word to use in a situation, avoid guessing. Either ask directly, or do some homework later on. For example, if you're not clear what pronouns a person uses, you can say, "I use the pronouns she/her/hers. And you?"

Avoid using slang terms or outdated language that either has negative connotations or that evokes pity or fear (e.g., "foreigner," "homo," "handicapped," "tranny," "retarded," "Oriental," "lame," "an illegal").

Make it a practice to use "people first language" to encourage equality for everyone. For example, say "a person with a disability," not "a disabled person."

Recognize that individuals within a group may use words related to their identity that those outside the group should not use. For example, an LGBT person may claim the identity of "Queer," but that is different than an outsider labeling them "queer." Similarly, a person with a disability may self-identify as a "crip," but that does not give permission for others to use the same term.

Consider sensitivities related to humor. For example, marginalized individuals may use humor as a way to talk about their experiences from their point of view, but it's problematic if someone not of that identity tries to make a similar joke.

Avoid making assumptions about someone's lived experiences and/or their desires. For example, don't assume someone with a disability feels burdened or victimized. Avoid saying things like, "You're so brave for dealing with all you do."

Be open to feedback and accept others' input as an opportunity for self-growth, understanding, and doing better in the future.

You're going to mistakes. When you do, own it, apologize, and try again.

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Ally Up! Practice Effective Allyship President Martha E. Pollack clearly stated in her university message to Cornell students, staff, and faculty that "Our community needs your help. Please speak out against injustice, racism and bigotry, and reach out to support one another. Ours must be a community grounded in mutual respect and kindness" (9/17/17).

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TransBefrienders - Helping Trans Youths in Singapore

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Transbefrienders is a peer support service for trans youths seeking assistance, friendship or mentorship. We match youths with volunteers who have prior experience with the transitioning process in Singapore. Existing support systems are limited in how much they can help, so having another person as a source of support through one's transition can help to minimize the usual uncertainty and loneliness of the process.