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

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