Engagement & Education
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(1) Training
(2) Book Recommendations
(3) Guides, Lesson Plans & Research
(4) Resource CompilationS
(5) Quick Learns
Training
Book Recommendations
Guides, Lesson Plans & Research
Resource Compilations
Quick Learns
Becoming Allies: Key Considerations for You (& Your Organization)
(1) Why do You want to Be an Ally?
a. Are my motivations rooted in promoting Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusivity, or is there a risk of unintentionally excluding others?
b. How can I (or my organization) move beyond surface-level allyship and take meaningful actions?
(2) Understanding Privilege & Oppression
a. How might I (or my family) or my organization benefit from systems
like white supremacy, settler colonialism, and cisheteropatriarchy?
b. Am I well-informed about these terms and their implications?
(3) Action-Oriented Strategies
What concrete steps can I take or strategies can my organization employ to actively challenge and subvert these oppressive dynamics?
(4) Supporting BIPOC & 2SLGBTQIA+ Needs
a. How can I ensure that I am genuinely addressing the specific needs of BIPOC & 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals?
b. Is financial support, symbolic gestures like flag-raising, and land acknowledgments sufficient?
c. How can we prepare to address potential backlash from extremist groups due to our allyship efforts?
(5) Self-Reflection & Incorporating Privilege Awareness
If a
community or organization has not explicitly requested support, how can we
begin to integrate self-analysis of privilege within our practices and
organizational structures?
(6) Creating Safe & More Inclusive Spaces
How can our organization enhance safety, inclusivity, and appeal to BIPOC & 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals while actively encouraging requests for service, coalition-building, and collaboration?
(7) Engaging with Diverse Perspectives
a. Have you explored written materials by BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, activists, and scholars?
b. Do you engage with qualitative or community-based research that articulates the specific needs of these diverse sub-populations?
(8) Listening to Concerns
What concerns or grievances have BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, and allied individuals already expressed within or about your organization or profession?
(9) Learning from Existing Initiatives
Are there existing initiatives in other organizations that effectively support these populations? What lessons can we draw from them to improve our own efforts?
Pronouns
What are pronouns?
Pronouns are words commonly used to refer to individuals without repetitively using their names, making sentences flow more naturally. In English, pronouns often indicate a person’s gender, but neutral options also exist. Additionally, “alternative” pronouns exist, some of which have historical roots, evolving as people creatively engage with language. These alternatives are continually emerging. Various languages incorporate gender-neutral pronouns, with some languages offering numerous options. Despite societal progress, Canadian norms predominantly reflect a binary view of two sexes or genders. However, this framework doesn’t encompass everyone’s identity. Consequently, traditional pronouns like “he” and “she” may not be inclusive for everyone.
Why does it matter?
Hundred societies worldwide have rich histories of recognizing third, fourth, fifth, or even more genders, a wide spectrum of sexes, and diverse sexual orientations. As Canada experiences a consistent rise in immigration, & praises itself for its place as a leader amongst nations, it’s increasingly vital to comprehend diverse viewpoints on sex, gender, and sexuality.
Before European colonization, North America boasted over 135 Indigenous languages with terms specifically identifying individuals outside the male-female binary. The concepts of sex, gender, and sexuality, like many societal constructs, were imposed through colonial processes – those ways one group asserts dominance over another. The end goal is to to reshape and suppress cultural practices and bodies, thereby upholding the power of those in control. Achieving truth and reconciliation demands us to transcend binary perspectives and halt this continuous harm.
As societal attitudes change, each generation discovers the language and bravery to express their authentic selves. Utilizing gender-affirming language has been shown to mitigate the adverse mental health effects of exclusion and marginalization. Inclusion prompts us to assess whether an environment welcomes all individuals. Justice challenges us to scrutinize whose well-being is being disregarded to accommodate others’ comfort in maintaining dehumanizing outlooks. Ontario’s Human Rights Code explicitly safeguards gender identity and expression (in addition to sex and sexual orientation) as prohibited grounds for discrimination. Respecting someone’s pronouns actively upholds these rights.
Sharing your pronouns & Alternatives
Incorporating your pronouns into email signatures, name tags, or introductions serves as a demonstration of respect and allyship, and contributes to raising awareness. When you set an example by openly sharing your own pronouns and making it a standard practice, you foster an environment where others feel secure in revealing their own pronouns.
In situations where you might feel uneasy about disclosing your pronouns for any reason, there are alternative methods to cultivate this sense of security. Consider including an inclusive progress pride flag or an ally flag within your email signature or wearing a corresponding pin. Alternatively, if you genuinely have no particular preference, you can utilize (any/all) as an option.
When should I ask? What if I make a mistake?
It’s important to note that sharing pronouns should never be obligatory. You can maintain a neutral approach by defaulting to they/them pronouns or using a person’s name only, eliminating the need to inquire about pronouns.
In group settings, directly asking someone to disclose their pronouns can be inappropriate, potentially pressuring individuals to either lie or reveal personal information to a room of strangers. This approach can also imply that someone’s outward appearance doesn’t align with their gender identity.
In case you make a pronoun-related error, a simple apology or correction suffices. When someone requests you to use their preferred pronouns, they’re seeking respect for their identity; it’s important not to react defensively. Empathize by considering how you would feel if your identity was disrespected. If others make mistakes, gently correct them without magnifying the error.
Encountering unfamiliar pronouns warrants discretion and courtesy. Offer context, expressing your commitment to being an ally while accurately using their pronouns. Purposefully disregarding or disrespecting someone’s pronouns constitutes an act of oppression and violence.
Inclusive Language
Our conversations with others can reveal our underlying assumptions and biases. The terminology we use in brief everyday exchanges can send denigrating messages to certain individuals because of their membership of a group deemed outside of assumed norms. The persons making the comments may be otherwise well-intentioned and unaware of the potential impact of their words.
When meeting new people it’s essential to remember that:
- Not everyone with a child identifies as a parent.
- Not every child necessarily has a mom and/or dad.
- There are more than just two sexes and genders.
- We shouldn’t judge people based on their appearance.
- We should avoid making assumptions about matters like monogamy, coupledom, sexuality, or biological relationships.
AVOID
parents
mom/dad
son/daughter
brother/sister
he/she
his/her
man/woman
wife/husband
boyfriend/girlfriend
TRY INSTEAD
adult
caregiver/guardian
child/kids
sibling
they
their
person
spouse/partner
partner/lover
What does 2SLGBTQIA+ mean?
2Spirit: An English term utilized by some Indigenous people to encompass a wide range of gender, sex, and sexual variances, along with corresponding ceremonial and social roles.
Lesbian: A woman who experiences romantic or sexual attraction exclusively to other women.
Gay: Primarily used to describe a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual, most often referring to a man who experiences romantic or sexual attraction to other men.
Bisexual: Refers to romantic, emotional, or sexual attraction toward individuals of one’s own gender and other genders. It’s commonly used to describe someone attracted to both men and women.
Transgender: An umbrella term encompassing individuals whose gender identity differs from the sex or gender they were assigned at birth.
Queer: An inclusive umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities, can also be associated with a philosophy of resistance against societal norms. It’s important to note that while some have reclaimed this term, not everyone is comfortable with it due to its historical pejorative connotations.
Questioning: Individuals who may still be uncertain, in the process of exploration, or exploring their own gender and/or sexuality.
Intersex: Refers to individuals where the characteristics to define sex at birth, such as genitalia, chromosomes, hormones, do not conform to the traditional binary definitions of male or female.
Asexual: A person who may not experience sexual attraction or has minimal interest in sexual activity.
Plus: An inclusive term that encompasses cross-cultural, sexual, and gender diversity, including (but not limited to):
Fluid: Describes individuals whose gender expression, identity, and/or romantic, emotional, or sexual attraction may change or evolve over time, depending on the situation or context.
Non-Label: Refers to individuals who do not ascribe to any specific identity label, which can include those who are uncertain, experience fluidity, or resist categorization.
Non-Binary: Those who feel their gender cannot be defined within the margins of gender binary
Pansexual: Individuals who experience romantic, emotional, or sexual attraction to people of any sex or gender.
Genderqueer: An umbrella term used to encompass experiences with gender that fall outside the conventional male-female binary.
Agender: Describes a person who may not identify with a particular gender or considers themselves gender-neutral.
The Meaning Behind Pride Flags
Pride flags, beyond being vibrant displays of color, carry profound symbolism of hope and liberation. They continually evolve and are reimagined to encompass the diverse spectrum of people, identities, and communities they symbolize.
Throughout the years, various flags have emerged to represent different facets of the LGBTQ+ community:
- – The bisexual flag was introduced in 1998.
- – Lesbian women gained their own flag representation in 1999, with updates made in subsequent years until 2019.
- – The transgender flag was created in 1999.
- – The ace (asexual) flag was introduced in 2010.
- – Pansexual and genderqueer flags also emerged in 2010.
- – In 2011, the genderqueer flag was introduced.
- – The genderfluid flag was designed in 2012.
- – Intersex individuals gained their flag in 2013.
- – Non-binary representation arrived with its flag in 2014.
- – Aromantic individuals also gained a flag in 2014.
- – The gay men’s flag went through revisions from 2016 to 2019.
It’s important to understand that there is no single “correct” flag or symbol. Your choice of representation is entirely valid, as it reflects your unique identity and experiences.
Before the Flag
The pink triangle, much like the term “queer,” underwent a transformation in the 1970s, becoming a positive symbol of self-identity and love for queerness. Its history, however, is rooted in the negative context of Nazi Germany. During that time, the pink triangle was used as a concentration camp badge to identify and stigmatize imprisoned gay men, who often faced harsh treatment from fellow inmates.
Original Flag
In 1978, Gilbert Baker created the rainbow pride flag for the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day celebration, marking the emergence of a new era of gay consciousness and freedom. The flag was designed to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. This original version featured a pink stripe at the top, symbolizing sex, and a turquoise stripe representing art.
Traditional Flag
The pink and turquoise colors were initially included in the flag’s design but proved challenging to source due to low demand and manufacturing difficulties. Additionally, it was hard to split the flag evenly for hanging on posts. Consequently, these colors were removed from the flag by 1979.
The flag’s final design consisted of the following colors and meanings:
- Red symbolized Life.
- Orange represented Healing.
- Yellow stood for Sunlight.
- Green embodied Nature.
- Blue represented Serenity.
- Purple symbolized Spirit.
Progress Flag
In 2017, under the leadership of Amber Hikes in Philadelphia, the Pride Flag underwent a modification. Black and brown stripes were added to explicitly recognize and include people of color who have historically experienced oppression and discrimination within the Pride movement.
Then, in 2018, Daniel Quasar made another addition by incorporating the Transgender Flag into the traditional Pride Flag. This addition was intended to be more inclusive.
Here’s the breakdown of the colors and their meanings in the updated flag:
- Light blue symbolizes Boys.
- Light pink represents Girls.
- White signifies those who are transitioning, neutral, have no specific gender, or are intersex.
- The black and brown stripes are there to represent people of color.
Inclusive Flag
