Pride Month: How to be a better ally all year round
Updated On: 25 June, 2023 02:55 PM IST | Mumbai | Maitrai Agarwal
Despite the fact that June is recognised as Pride Month, the need for allyship goes beyond posts on social media sites during a single month. LGBTQIA+ individuals and a certified queer mental health practitioner share the value of allyship and what people can do to be better allies
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Beauty creator Suunny Pandey (L), and author K Vaishali (R) on the criticality of allyship, and how can people go beyond performative, and become better allies. Photo courtesy: Suunny Pandey/K Vaishali
Being an ally refers to an individual from a non-marginalised group who uses their privilege to lend support and advocate for a marginalised group. For example, allyship could be a cis-gender man advocating for equal rights for women. It can be a strategic mechanism used by the non-marginalised to promote equity and fight discrimination through supportive personal relationships as well as public acts of sponsorship and advocacy.
Whether it is in-person or online, being an ally equates to lending explicit support. While marginalised communities have found solace and support within virtual spaces, it is also the platform where performative allyship has the strongest presence. What is often a marketing gimmick, or a self-promotion post for many, ends up stifling attempts to foster genuine efforts of creating inclusive spaces and environments. In this age of social media, performative allyship has become a problematic issue, especially during events such as Pride Month. Organisations, and privileged individuals pretending to lend solidarity to the marginalised LGBTQIA+ community ends up doing more harm than good. Instead of actually transferring the benefits of their privilege, performative allyship maintains the status quo, and makes no attempt to change processes that support structural discrimination.
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