Becoming an Advocate to LGBTQ People

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What is an Advocate? - Affirming Card - Coming Out as a Straight Man - Being a Trans Advocate - Web Links for Advocates

What is an Advocate?

Educate... Advocate... Sacrifice... Reflect... Help... Lead... Support... Speak Up... Serve... Protest... Learn... Vote... Organize... Welcome... Respond... Confront... Act.. Care...

There are certainly a variety of ways to be an advocate to LGBTQ communities, and every advocate must define this label for themselves. But above all, LGBTQ advocate share a desire to support LGBTQ people. Becoming an advocate is a process that includes many steps. Here are a few beginning suggestions:

1) Post an "LGBTQA Affirming" card in your office or residential hall. (See below for cards.)
2) Educate yourself: Listen to LGBTQA people. Read books about LGBTQA topics. Go to LGBTQA events.
3) Sign up for and attend an advocate training.
4) Confront homophobic and transphobic comments and actions, like jokes, name calling, graffiti, etc.
5) Don’t assume people’s sexual orientations and gender identities.
6) Respect trans people’s chosen genders. Use their preferred names and pronouns. Ask respectfully if you don’t know what pronoun to use.
7) Get involved. Volunteer at LGBTQA Services. Join the student club Free to Be. Speak out against bigotry. Take a stand against transphobia, homophobia, and heterosexism.

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“LGBTQA Affirming” Card

Download this colorful card and display it in your office or on your door to show your support for LGBTQ people. You can also pick this card up at the LGBTQA Services’ office. (Download card as PDF.)

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“Coming Out as a Straight Man” by Adam Warrington

“Throughout the field of student affairs and work in social justice, practitioners often use the word “questioning” when discussing sexual identities. This term usually refers not to heterosexuals, but to individuals who will eventually identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. In fact, we often assume that heterosexuals, especially men, would rarely undergo such a process, as their identity is the majority, privileged, and expected. In fact, some research shows that this might not be the case and that many more men than one might expect may be questioning their sexuality. The author will explore his own experiences in navigating a process of sexual orientation questioning as a heterosexual male in high school and college through the form of a Scholarly Personal Narrative. Finally, implications will be offered for the field of education.” (Download article as a PDF.)

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Action Steps to Being a Trans Advocate

“Transgender” encompasses many different gender presentations and identities. From Male-to-Female and Female-to-Male to Femme Queen, Boi, Trannyfag, Female-born man, Transwoman, Tomboy, Butch, Crossdresser and many more. Many people do not identify as “transgendered” but still face discrimination based on their gender expression and for not conforming to traditional gender presentations.

Here are some steps to being an advocate to trans people:

1) Don’t make assumptions about a trans person’s sexual orientation.Gender identity is different than sexual orientation. Being gay doesn’t mean you’re trans and being trans doesn’t mean you’re gay. Sexual orientation is about who we’re attracted to. Gender identity is about how we see ourselves. Trans people can identify as gay, straight, bisexual, pansexual or asexual.

2) If you don’t know what pronouns to use, ask. Politely and respectfully. Then use that pronoun and encourage others to do so also.

3) Confidentiality, Disclosure and “Outing.” Some trans people “pass” and some do not. Knowing a trans person’s status is personal information and up to them to share with others. Gwen Araujo and Brandon Teena were both murdered when others revealed their trans status. Others routinely lose housing, jobs and friends. Do not casually share this information, or “gossip” about a person you know or think is trans.

4) Don’t assume what path a transperson is on regarding surgery or hormones. Affirm the many ways all of us can and do transcend gender boundaries, including the choices some of us make to use medical technology to change our bodies. Some trans people wish to be recognized as their gender of choice without surgery or hormones; some need support and advocacy to get respectful medical care, hormones and/or surgery.

5) Don’t police public restrooms. Recognize that gender variant people may not match the little signs on the restroom door—or your expectations! Encourage businesses and agencies to have unisex bathrooms, and offer to accompany a trans-person to the bathroom so they are less vulnerable.

6) Don’t just add the “T” without doing work. “GLBT” is now commonplace to show support for queerness. To be an ally for Transpeople, Gays, Lesbians and Bisexual people need to examine their own gender stereotypes and transphobia and be willing to defend trans people and celebrate trans lives.

7) Listen to trans voices. The best way to be an ally is to listen to trans people themselves. Talk to trans folks in your community. They are the experts on their own lives!

"Action Steps to Being a Trans Ally". (Download flyer as a PDF)

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List of Web Resources for Advocates

Questions Answered: Terms for Allies to Know
Commonly Asked Questions w/ Answers (from PFLAG):
Becoming an Ally (from Residential Life at UNH):

Why be an Advocate? Info about Heterosexism & Homophobia
PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays)
Visit PFLAG’s Education for great facts about marriage, hate crimes, schools & youth, parenting & families, reparative therapy, communities of color, and civil rights.
The Heterosexism Enquirer
What every super-rad straight ally should know (from the Gay Straight Alliance Network):

Take action - How to be an Advocate:
Texas A&M Aggie Ally Program
Ohio University Ally Pride Page
Are you an Ally? (from the associated students of the University of Montana)
Obligations of an ally (from the University of Western Australia)
Tips for being an ally to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender People (from the University of Georgia’s Health Center)
Ally Center (from campuspride.org)
Resources for straight allies (from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation)
What about being an ally? (from Michigan Technological University)

Activities & Training Sessions
Homophobia And Being An Ally: Exploring The Issues (Argersinger, Bowman, and Byrne)
Homophobia is Everyone’s Responsibility to Overcome (from GLBTSS at The Ohio State University)

Resources/Articles
“Coming Out to My Homophobia and Heterosexism: Lessons Learned in the Journey of Being an Ally,” by Alan D. Berkowitz, Ph.D.:
“On Becoming an Ally” by Patrick Brown (from The Vermont Connection)

Web Resources for Trans Advocates
Gender Identity 101: A Transgender Primer, by the late Alexander John Goodrum (PDF file)
Gender Education and Advocacy
FTM International
Gender Talk
IFGE--International Foundation of Gender Education
Intersexed Society of North America
PFLAG's Transgender Support Network

Books for Trans Advocates
Body Alchemy: Transsexual Portraits, by Loren Cameron
Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women and the Rest of Us, by Kate Bornstein
Honey, Honey, Miss Thang: Being Black, Gay and On the Streets, by Leon E. Pettiway
Transgender Warriors: Making History from Joan of Arc to Rupaul, by Leslie Feinberg
Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink and Blue, by Leslie Feinberg,
Transgender Care: Recommended Guidelines, Practical Information and Personal Accounts, by Gianna E. Israel
Transgender Emergence: Therapuetic Guidelines for Working with Gender-Variant People and Their Families, by Arlene Istar Lev
Trans Forming Families: Real Stories about Transgendered Loved Ones, edited by Mary Boenke
Back to "Action Steps to Being a Trans Advocate"

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