Allyship. It’s a word that’s growing in popularity. But what does it mean? Put simply, allyship is when a person of privilege works together with a marginalised group for a more equal world. Marginalised and privilege are the two key words in that sentence. 

Let’s break them down. 

Marginalised: A person from a marginalised group faces oppression because of their gender, race, sexuality, disability and any other characteristic that isn’t reflected in the dominant culture where they live. Privilege: A person who is privileged will get treated better than others based on the same characteristics. 

The possibilities to practice allyship are endless. But endless options can often lead to overwhelm. Which makes it hard to know where to begin. Which leads to NO action, when allyship is all about action. Yikes. Getting clear on what it means to be an ally will help you know where to begin and give you the motivation you need to commit to some action. 

While allyship can have a HUGE impact, it doesn’t have to be an equally huge commitment. It’s the everyday actions and choices you make that will make you a better colleague, family member and friend. 

Here are some examples of allyship that you can take action on straight after you finish reading this post:

Diversify your social media platforms

Most of us spend hours scrolling on social media. We curate our own feeds through who we follow, so we have the power to centre marginalised voices by choosing to follow people who are usually ignored or misrepresented by the mainstream or dominant culture. Here are two prompts: do you have an understanding of what it means to exist as a Transgender person today? Are you aware of the day to day challenges a member of the disabled community faces? If the answer is no, then start there. Get following and make members of these communities a part of your everyday life! 

Listen and learn instead of getting defensive

Being an ally is about being open to feedback and making adjustments in your language. Let’s take the term ‘People of colour’ - it’s a term commonly used in the West to describe those who are ‘non-white’. But if you’re using it to describe someone who is Black or indigenous, you might find yourself being corrected, because the phrase people of colour has evolved to Black, Indigenous and people of colour. Why this evolution? To respect and acknowledge the differences in experience between these different groups. 

 In the moment of being corrected, it could be easy to get defensive and think (or even say) ‘Well I thought that was the most up to date language’. But instead, you could channel that energy into listening and learning a valuable lesson. Language is always evolving, and allyship is about evolving with it, so that we can honour everyone’s experience of the world, rather than stay committed to umbrella terms that erase a person’s humanity. 

Speak up when a marginalised person gets shut down

Another simple way to make a big difference. You’re in the middle of a meeting at work. A member of your team who’s a woman is articulating her experience of working on a project. And they are cut off by a colleague who is eager to get their point across. A quick “one moment please, X hasn’t finished their point” could make a massive difference.

Accept that there is no end

Many people assume that a single action, like showing up to a protest is enough to earn the label of ally. This is an example of reactive allyship, which is a quick response to something that is happening at that moment. This usually means that once that moment has passed or stopped trending on Twitter, the conversation stops. 

Proactive allyship is more impactful. It’s the readiness to be uncomfortable in order to learn and grow. It’s the choice to learn from our mistakes and change our behaviour instead of shutting down with fear and guilt. Being proactive with your allyship is the commitment to doing your part everyday, no matter how small or big the gesture. 

Our individual complexities and constant learning means that the work of allyship is never done. You aren’t going to get it right all the time, and that’s okay. A key part of allyship is remaining open to evolving and adapting. Keep at it, and before you know it, you’ll know exactly how to navigate those endless possibilities.

Words by Georgia Wickremeratne

Header image by Sam Manns on Unsplash