Welcome back to the Allyship Corner. I'd like to start this off with a quick disclaimer. I'm not part of the LGBTQ+ community, but I am an ally. However, I don't know everything, and most of what I know is from my own experiences so it will not apply everywhere. I'm here to give you some food for thought on being an ally, but I encourage you to do your own research and be mindful as you seek to support the people you know!

Speaking of research, that's what we'll be focusing on in this article as it's a big part of being an ally. We can learn a lot by hearing those around us, being mindful, and being courteous; however, to truly be a good ally, some research should be done, too. For example, you aren't expected to know everything, but it's good to be able to utilize the knowledge you do have and put it to good use. As someone growing up in a fairly narrow-minded household, I had little to no knowledge of what it meant to be part of the LGBTQ+ community and how I could support my friends who were a part of it. As such, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I carefully listened to my friends and did my best to make them feel welcome and celebrated for who they are, but not everyone wanted to open up about what they felt. Not wanting to push, I looked to the internet for some extra guidance.

As with everything, it's good to check your sources. Make sure you are getting information from a reputable source and that it sounds reasonable. In addition to that, make sure to be thorough. I would run into a lot of terms I knew nothing about and an important step in my searching was doing additional research on those terms. Because of that, I was able to more accurately educate myself.

Doing your own research not only helps you be there for the people you love, but also when others seek to harm them. A lot of people make harmful assumptions about the LGBTQ+ community, and sometimes it's because they're uneducated about it. Being able to share with them some of the research you've done may help to open their eyes, and hopefully help them understand just why what they say is so problematic. While doing this, it is important to remember that the voices of those in the community should matter more than what you may read online, however. Just because an article says that a certain member of the LGBTQ+ community may like a certain thing doesn't mean that is the case! Above all, ensure that you are always learning and always willing to learn.

All that being said, take some time now to go do some research. Think about what you want to learn more about, what you can do to stand up for others, and how you can be a better ally!