3 ways to become an active ally for LGBTQI+ people

Your lgbtq friendly photographer who believes we can all be better allies, today. 

Maru Collective is more than just queer-friendly boudoir: we’re an active voice for the entire LGBTQI+ community. In celebration of Pride month, I wanted to encourage our boudoir community to reflect on how we can create a safer, more respectful world for our queer friends. Because saying, ‘Happy Pride!’ once a year doesn’t dissipate the marginalisation and oppression LGBTQI+ people feel every day. We can do better, and here’s how. 

1. Embracing our ability to continuously listen and learn  

Similar to the values I developed as a queer-friendly boudoir photographer, becoming an active ally starts with inner work. This means taking the time to truly listen, hear and understand the stories and experiences of queer people. It takes an immersion into their–oftentimes stark and exhaustive–lived experiences to have empathy and tenderness towards them. And if you feel as though you aren’t surrounded by queer people, take it upon yourself to research the inequalities and challenges LGBTQI+ people have faced and continue to face. It wasn’t until 2017 that queer couples could even get married: so this type of discrimination doesn’t disappear overnight. PFLAG is a plentiful resource to get you started.

2. Confront inappropriate behaviour and harmful language 

We owe it to our queer, gay and lesbian friends to take the burden of calling out inappropriate behaviour. To be active allies, we must intervene and directly address poor language choice, stereotyping and harmful jokes, even if there are queer people present. It’s important we don’t leave this taxing work to LGBTQI+ people, as their thoughts, ideas and opinions are already frequently shut down, ridiculed or outright ignored. Supporting queer people in the moment may look like using these words to describe inappropriate behaviour: harmful, hurtful, discriminatory, inappropriate, non-inclusive and disrespectful. 

3. Build a community of allies 

We can have more impact, if there are more of us. Being an active ally is one thing, but taking the time to rally and encourage friends, family and colleagues to also be active allies, ensures we can extend the same safety and respect to our queer friends, sooner. PFLAG acknowledges that even being an ally exists on a spectrum, from those who are learning to listen to the problems or queer people or focussing on educating themselves, through to allies who actively advocate for LGBTQI+ equality and rally to change laws and legislation that oppresses queer people. 

Being an active ally can be taxing work, but it’s selfless, important work. So I hope you can join me in wishing all of our beautiful friends in the LGBTQI+ community a happy pride filled with love, acceptance and visibility. Because you are wonderfully enough, just as you are!

Keep the Conversation going on Instagram

Maru Collective is a proud lgbtq friendly photographer, offering queer-friendly boudoir experiences, photoshoots, lingerie and more.