Gender & Sexuality dictionary
ally
[ al-ahy ]
黑料网 does聽ally mean?
础苍听ally is someone that aligns with and supports a cause with another individual or group of people. A聽straight ally, more specifically, is an individual outside of the LGBTQ+ community that supports their fight for equality and rights. The term ally has also spread to refer to people who are aligned in support of other disenfranchised and minority communities, such as people of color.
Where does ally come from?
In the LGBTQ+ community, ally started being used in the 1990s, an extension of the word ally as “supporter.” The concept of an ally, however, is much older. PFLAG, or Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, was founded in 1973 and has been a major organization for allies ever since.
Prominent ad campaigns over the years have promoted allyship, like 2015’s #illgowithyou, in which allies accompany transgender people in bathrooms so they feel safe.
The equal sign logo for the Human Rights Campaign has been associated with allyship as well.
Examples of ally
Who uses ally?
If someone supports LGBTQ+ rights, they are considered an ally in that community. Many other minority communities adopt the聽ally moniker with pride.
The human resources department of large corporate companies sometimes define聽ally in their official company literature, and many LGBTQ+ support groups welcome allies to their spaces and meetings.
While many in the LGBTQ+ community value “good” allies, there are many articles that outline how to be a better ally. They cite not taking up space in discussion over someone who is LGBTQ+, trying to understand the history and nuance of the movement, and actively fight injustice and discrimination as it happens.
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of ally like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of ally that will help our users expand their word mastery.