Ally Development and Programming

Allies have been instrumental to many social movements, including those for LGBTQ rights. The term ally refers to individuals who engage in social change efforts in coalition with social groups to which they do not themselves belong. Allies may have more social power, status, or privilege than the group with whom they are allied. However, it is also possible for alliances to form across different marginalized social groups. Social change efforts can include working on one’s own internal biases and stereotypes (consciousness raising), interventions (both interpersonal and institutional) designed to raise awareness of the existence of different groups and their right to equal treatment, and actions intended to create broader communities of support for marginalized people, as well as activism to change policies and laws. ...