Take the Ally Path!

 Hofstra's 1st Annual Ally Week: March 24-28, 2014

Ally Week is a week for students to engage in conversation and commit to take action against bullying and harassment to become better allies to LGBT students and the LGBT community. Join the celebration and support your LGBT friends and colleagues by attending this year's Ally Week events hosted by MISPO, the Center for Civic Engagement, Hofstra Cultural Center, the LGBT Studies Program, the Pride Network and others! All Hofstra Ally Week events are free and open to everyone in the Hofstra community.

For more information about Ally Week: mispo@hofstra.edu or 516-463-6796 or find us on Facebook!

What is an Ally?

An ally does not necessarily identify as LGBT, but supports the LGBT community by standing against the bullying and harassment that LGBT students face in school and in the workplace. Allies can be straight or LGBT identified adults! Anyone who takes a stand against anti-LGBT bullying and harassment can be an ally.

Taking the Ally Path

• Learn from someone who is different from you. Don’t just hear what they say- listen.
• Educate yourself on social justice by reading books and articles and watching movies about people different from you. Spread the word!
• Keep an open mind and try not to judge 
• Don’t assume to completely know someone else’s experience. 
• Try to empathize, not sympathize.
• Accept that there are limitations to your ability to empathize and understand someone else’s experience.
• "Speak from your own experience. Never speak for an entire group’s experience or try to represent an entire group."
• Ask another person how they identify and what terms to use/not-use. Do not assume all terms are a one-size fits all. Each person identifies differently and identifies with different terms.
• Be mindful of your unconscious biases: notice your behavior and how it may affect others.
• Seek to understand the different forms of oppression.
• Recognize that no one form of oppression is more significant than another; there is no hierarchy of oppression.
• Seek to understand and acknowledge your own privileges
• Understand that feeling guilty is a part of the process of being an ally. Don’t let it deter you from being an ally, but don’t try to “make up” for it. 
• "Know that the past is not your fault, but the present and future are your responsibility."
• Envision utilizing your power to bring about social change that benefits all people, especially those who come from underprivileged backgrounds.
• Attend a protest, rally, or march for something you believe.
• Speak out against harassment and offensive statements you hear by speaking for others who are not present, interrupting offensive jokes, and dispelling myths and stereotypes.
• Be cognizant of the goods and services you use that might have a positive or negative impact on those you want to be an ally to. 
• "Expand your global perspective by interacting with people, groups and communities with which you might not ordinarily socialize." 
• Encourage others to become allies.
• Interact and find support from and be supportive of other allies.
• Help build bridges among different social groups.
• Support environments where everyone can have a voice.
• Be comfortable with yourself and accept your own identity, background, and history.
• Don’t expect to be accepted as an ally, and be comfortable with criticism and feedback.  
• Don’t expect recognition for your ally work.
• Accept that others may stereotype you.
• Accept frustration and/or anger from those who have been oppressed.
• Respond to acts of anger with acts of kindness.
• Use examples that don’t exclude a particular group’s experience. Be inclusive.
• Support people in the manner they want to be supported. Don’t assume to know what support they want and what’s best for them.
• Take risks and continually try to improve!

Adapted from:
http://www.iamsafezone.com/

D'Angelo, Anthony J.: Inspiration for LGBT Students & Their Allies Paperback,  November 5, 2002

Gay? Hofstra is your Ally!

A university like Hofstra is a microcosm of the larger United States culture and society. Being a university, however, puts it in the unique position of being responsible for educating and creating well-rounded citizens who can both excel at their career and be adaptable, socially-conscious people. The problems of the greater US are also experienced to varying degrees at Hofstra. One problem in particular is homophobia. The violent crimes rate against people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ) is on the rise. According to Herek, over 90% of LGBTQ individuals report experiencing some form of harassment based on their identity. It is important to remember that harassment, violence, and even small gestures of non-acceptance toward LGBTQ people (e.g., comments like “That’s so gay!”) are not random and isolated events. It is a larger sign of a homophobic thread that remains stubbornly weaved into the multicultural tapestry that is the United States of America. To change the world, they say you have to start at home. Here at Hofstra, which we hope is your home away from home, we believe we can begin plucking out the threads of homophobia.

To the LGBT community, the Division of Student Affairs at Hofstra recognizes that it may be difficult for you to feel safe and accepted in a society in which homophobia is still such an issue. We are committed to creating, at Hofstra, a truly cosmopolitan community that is defined by acceptance and support of all cultural differences, including sexual and gender identity.

A recent article on HealthyPlace.com entitled “Gay Discrimination and Stigma and How to Cope” helps LGBTQ individuals, as well as concerned allies, recognize homophobic behavior in the world around them and identify prejudice thinking. The Division of Student Affairs has created programming and services to counteract stigma and discrimination and help LGBTQ students cope. Some of the recommendations Healthyplace.com suggests are:
• Share your experiences: find a safe space such as a gay support group where you can share your experiences with others
• Join an advocacy group: a group that actively fights gay stigma and discrimination
• Find the right people: surround yourself by loved ones who support you and those that may be going through similar situations themselves.

The Pride Network at Hofstra is a safe place to share your experiences, find support, and advocate against homophobia. The Multicultural & International Student Programs Office (MISPO) is in the process of creating a Safe Space project to educate allies to create a community of acceptance on campus. The stigma and discrimination of homophobia creates unique anxiety to individuals who wish to come out and identify as LGBTQ.  The MISPO and Student Counseling Services will be providing a support workshop to help in this delicate process. Visit MISPO or Pride Network’s on Facebook for updates on these important upcoming programs. Join other allies in this cause; you are invited to attend the annual LGBTQ History Month Reception, Wednesday October 2nd in Multipurpose Room East from 11:15 to 12:45.

Creating educated, adaptable, and socially conscious citizens is a primary purpose of higher education. In working toward that goal, instilling a passion for social justice and equal consideration for all people regardless of sexual, gender, or any other form of identity is an important piece in creating a more compassionate society overall.

Guest Blogger: 

Jason Schaefer Graduate Student Assistant for LGBTQ Programs at MISPO

Mental Health Counseling Graduate Student

Progress towards Equality at Hofstra and in the U.S.

As the new Fall semester looms closer, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ) affairs have been in the news a lot  with the recent strike down of a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and many US states legalizing marriage equality.  At first glance, it may seem that it has never been easier to be gay in the U.S.; while in some sense this may be true it is also true that LGBTQ individuals continue to face subtle and overt barriers. If you or someone you know is LGBTQ, you may already be familiar with the challenges such as discrimination, stigmatization, bullying, and other forms of oppression.

The Division of Student Affairs’ mission at Hofstra is to create an egalitarian and welcoming campus for all cultural groups, including LGBTQ individuals. We hope to encourage the student body to appreciate and understand the differences between groups of people while also promoting the equal consideration and advocacy for human rights, which we are all entitled to as human beings. Hofstra provides opportunities for students to learn about what is important about being LGBTQ and creates programming to ensure that students who identify as LGBTQ will have the support they need when faced with these potential barriers.

NYC Pride Parade 2013

The Pride Network is a student-run organization that meets weekly to provide a common, safe social environment to LGBTQ individuals. Their Gay Straight Alliance brings together allies and LGBTQ students to collaborate on supporting various social advocacy initiatives and educational and social events that the Pride Network plans and sponsors.

The Multicultural & International Student Programs Office (MISPO) works closely with the Pride Network as the official office of the Division of Student Affairs responsible for LGBTQ (and other multicultural) programming. Upcoming events in the Fall included in the LGBTQ Heritage Month in October include LGBTQ Diversity, Dialogue, and Desserts, LGBTQ Reception, a Support Workshop on Coming Out, and more. For updates and event information, follow MISPO on Facebook.

Stop by MISPO, Student Center 242, to pick up complimentary luggage tags

For a student interested in learning more about LGBTQ issues, Hofstra’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences has created an LGBT Studies Program. According to the director of the program, David Powell: “LGBT Studies focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, their history and culture, considering sexualities and genders as identities, social statuses, categories of knowledge, and as lenses that help us to frame how we understand our world.” Students can make LGBTQ studies their academic minor if they wish, which can be an ideal accompaniment to any academic major.

As the nation slowly works toward equality, we’d like our LGBTQ students to know that Hofstra is on your side. We always welcome feedback and suggestions for how we can do better; don’t hesitate to stop by or email the MISPO office at MISPO@hofstra.edu

Guest Blogger: Jason Schaefer
Second Year Graduate Student in Mental Health Counseling
LGBTQ Program Specialist, MISPO