As we celebrate Pride Month this June, allies can be a powerful source of support for the LGBTQ+ community. A recent four-year project by the Harvard Business Review found that three components are commonly cited by LGBTQ+ people for effective allyship: being accepting, having humility and taking action.

Here are some suggestions to help ensure those components are part of your allyship – not just during Pride Month but beyond:

Being accepting

• Let your LGBTQ+ friends set the tone for discussing their identity.
• Assure them that disclosing their orientation or identity doesn’t change your feelings for them.
• Don’t assume that LGBTQ+ people are homogeneous. Understand their diversity and distinct identities.

Having humility

• Be a good listener. Listen more than you speak during discussions of LGBTQ+ issues.
• Be open to learning. Accept feedback and correction during discussions about LGBTQ+ matters.
• Don’t assume that because an LGBTQ+ person has come out to you, that they’re out to everyone. They should control when and to whom they come out.
• Listen to the terms LGBTQ+ people use to describe themselves. Never assume you know their preferred pronouns. Introducing yourself with your pronouns is a good practice that provides an opportunity for a person to share their pronouns.

Taking action

• Be engaged in local government. Show up at school boards and state legislatures. This is where anti-LGBTQ+ laws and regulations are created. Don’t let them pass unchecked. Speak out.
• Celebrate events that honor and support the LGBTQ+ community. Plan or share details about events that will educate allies about the issues and daily struggles affecting LGBTQ+ people.
• When you hear offensive remarks or jokes, say something. Explain why they are harmful and offensive.
• Refuse to do business or work at places that discriminate. Use online tools to identify and support businesses that welcome LGBTQ+ people.
• Support political candidates who are LGBTQ+ allies.

Illustration at top: Three components are commonly cited by LGBTQ+ people for effective allyship: being accepting, having humility and taking action.

Here are additional resources where you can learn more: