Practice Active Allyship
Allyship literally saves lives. Research shows that having at least one accepting adult can reduce the risk of a suicide attempt among LGBTQ young people by 40 percent. Access to spaces that affirmed their sexual orientation and gender identity has also been highlighted as a key protective factor that can significantly lower the risks of attempting suicide.
So how can you as an ally create safe and affirming spaces for the trans folks in your community?
Adding rainbow filters to profile photos on social media, putting a flag sticker on your car, and showing up Pride Parades are common occurrences. While these are genuine expressions of solidarity, without more active allyship work to accompany them, they can end up doing more to make the ally feel good than to make trans people’s lives better.
6 Ways to be an amazing ally
Successful change requires more than just intention - it requires action. And this action is about how we show up in our daily lives and in the interactions we have with others.
1 Become an advocate
While you can’t always make sure that everyone will be understanding of trans folk, you can help support them by becoming an advocate for their rights at school, work, and your community. This can be one of the hardest ways to show up since it might feel like you are “rocking the boat” in a small town. Our brains are programmed to want to protect our status as part of advantaged groups. It’s hard not to be anxious about whether standing up for what you believe in will impact your personal status. But, this is where you can have the most impact - as a member of an advantage group, you are less likely to lose status or experience the downsides of standing up than trans folks in your community.
2 Be a lifelong learner
Get the facts, fight misinformation, and continually learn about what it means to be trans, how you can support trans people, and what biases you may have. Biases are not always a bad thing - they’re just how our brains operate. They make it easier for our brains to process the mass amounts of information we receive every day. But it is important to always be questioning assumptions you have, where they came from, and who really benefits from them.
3 Affirm gender exploration
Gender exploration is a normal and healthy part of human development. Almost all human beings will experience some amount of change in the way that they feel and express their gender over the course of their lives.
Transgender and nonbinary youth are significantly less likely to attempt suicide when their pronouns are respected, when they are allowed to officially change the gender marker on their legal documents, and when they have access to spaces (online, at school, and home) that affirm their gender identity.
4 Acknowledge Transphobia & Transmisogyny
Transgender, non-binary, and gender nonconforming individuals experience discrimination and prejudice in society, which can cause mental health issues.
Historically, governments, medical systems, and individuals have perpetrated harmful laws, policies, and behaviors against people who did not conform to gender norms. This continues in some forms today, including discrimination in health, housing and employment.
5 Be fully supportive
Parental support is the biggest factor in determining a trans young person’s mental health and quality of life outcomes.
Research shows us that when trans youth feel fully (rather than “somewhat” or “not at all”) supported in their gender exploration, identity, and expression by their parents, they are dramatically less likely to develop suicidal thoughts and other mental health issues. They are also more likely to have positive health and life outcomes in almost every aspect of life.
6 Donate
Make a donation going directly to projects that support and improve the lives of trans and gender diverse people.
This list is just a starting point - there are many more ways that you can show up as an amazing ally and actually help create social change. We encourage you to continue to learn and educate yourself - allyship is a lifelong process and sometimes it requires us to let go of beliefs that we have held true. And that’s ok! That’s what growing and living is all about!
Support and Resources
If you are struggling and in need of support, please reach out to these resources:
CMHA Yukon Reach Out Support Line (operates from 2-10PM daily): 1-844-533-3030
Kids Help Phone (Online or phone help line for youth and young adults): kidshelpphone.ca/
If you’d like to learn more about Trans History we suggest looking into the https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/ which hosts a myriad of historical documents from around the world, accessible for free.
GLAAD also hosts a brief explanation of the day and provides international resource & organizational links: https://www.glaad.org/tdor