Allyship rule

Wow, this thread had me bringing out the ban hammer a lot!

I agree with speaking with your actions here, but at the same time, this seems like some weirdly unnecessary gatekeeping.

Counterpoint: you can absolutely self identify as an Ally. For example, I self identity as an Ally and there ain’t shit this adorable platypus can do to stop me.

I’m an Ally because I choose to be, by my words and my actions and the example I set for my children every day. I don’t need an attaboy from any marginalized group to confirm I’m on the right side of history. We do what’s right because it’s right. Full stop.

Before I realized and came out as bi, I was in the GSA (gay-straight alliance) in high school as a "straight." My state was voting to ban gay marriage at the time, and we campaigned against it. I got just as much if not more hate from people than the LGBT members. Maybe because they viewed them as a lost cause? It was usually adults yelling at a 17-year-old kid for being a "betrayer" and a "pervert lover" (I liked that one), just because I supported two consenting adults marrying regardless of gender. Staunch allies definitely earn the title.

I got mine from the Emperor of Gay People in the mail just this Friday. I framed it and put it next to my n-word pass on the mantle.

Slightly unrelated rant.

I'm tried of these culture wars. It's complete nonsense. I'm not particularly LGBT+ but it shouldn't matter. This is about freedom for fucks sake! People just want to live and exercise their human rights! Anybody telling others they mustn't exist their way is an enemy of humanity! The fact that people get denied jobs and even have their rights restricted, just because some asshole finds out the ID doesn't match is fucking repulsive!

Recently had a chat with my aunt and she just "you can't expect people to immediately accept changes", shut the fuck up! It's not a change! It's a core value that's been in our constitution for longer than any of us have been alive. But clearly, despite being raise on these values, I'm the only one who believes them. Like some fucking santa claus shit!

Divide and conquer is a strategy as old as time. Can’t fault you for trying.

Help us out though, what can we do to be better allies? I try to be a good one, but I don't know if I'm coming up short.

I've had people misgender me and try to convince me not to transition and then go claim to be trans allies because they don't call people slurs and will say that killing trans people is bad if asked

it can be as simple as flying a rainbow flag

Taking actions to be an Ally has risks for folks in some places. Where I am LBGTQA+ support is the norm and doesn't really need to be spoken and when it is I've never heard anyone in over 10 years say a negative thing.

I have online though seen folks who try to speak up in Allyship of someone else get taken down. Subjected to purity tests by folks in an LGBTQA+ supporting community. It felt like the same bi erasure I've experienced and the same transphobia I've seen from parts of the LG community in the 2000s. It's like saying someone isn't gay if they haven't come out. All it does is lessen the crew.

LGBTQA+ shouldnt be treated as a club with a rainbow dress code. It should be the future default standpoint of all of humanity.

ITT people are thinking this post is about them, but it feels like it's more targeted at the "The A is for ally!" types. (Thinking A in LGBTQIA is for ally instead of asexual.)

Hmm, I wonder what I managed to accomplish in the womb

I don't like the "Ally" term. I don't get it. Feminist thinks the equality of man and woman, but the existence of the ally term make a distinction into feminist and allys, that it's just a genre thing. So you are saying there are no equality between male and famele at all.

How dare you accuse me of being an ROG ally. I am clearly a steam deck.