Allyship: Small but Mighty 

Words by Leah Perry, RPC

Being an ally of the LGBTQ+ community means actively supporting and advocating for equal rights and acceptance of LGBTQ+ gender and sexual identities. Allyship comes in all shapes and sizes, from lobbying for legal protections to using inclusive language, and despite what you might think, you can make a difference with seemingly small acts of allyship.

There is a wealth of research on LGBTQ+ service provision that suggests small visual indicators of allyship can be hugely impactful for the LGBTQ+ community. Take, for example, a progress flag swinging from a pen pot on a librarian's desk, or a pronoun pin sitting on a healthcare professional's lapel. These cues indicate that LGBTQ+ people are welcome: you can find stories about yourself here; I understand your healthcare needs. Particularly in public services, supportive imagery allows LGBTQ+ people to know they are welcomed or that their needs can be met without having to out themselves, which can be emotionally draining when having to do so repeatedly.

A rainbow badge or a poster with inclusive language may seem inconsequential, or even performative, but these subtle and implicit signs of support are invaluable. As long, of course, it is truly reflective of the attitude of the place or person sporting it! This imagery doesn't even have to be large or explicit; people who are looking for it will recognise it.

While public services, workplaces, and shared spaces should think about how to present their support for the LGBTQ+ community, we can also adopt this practice in our personal lives. Displays of acceptance and unity are important perhaps now more than ever with the post-2020 rise of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes (Statista, 2024).

This theory is perfectly exemplified in Oslo Pride's recent advertisement. It shows the sense of anxiety and fear that can arise in situations or environments LGBTQ+ people interpret as potentially non-welcoming, and the conformity to hetero- and cis-normativity to avoid possible conflict. In these settings – on public transport, in a corporate meeting room, at a sports club – LGBTQ+ people infer that they are accepted and welcomed thanks to pins, lanyards, and flags. This also facilitates support unrestricted by language, so people who do not speak the language or do not have knowledge of the local cultural context can feel included.

In a world where hateful voices are loud and it feels as though we have no control over growing hostility, we have the power to provide a safer and more welcoming environment for the LGBTQ+ community without even speaking a word. And while visual cues are effective, they are a stepping stone towards the larger effort; it is important to use our voices to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community where we can.

On a final note, when we talk about LGBTQ+ allyship, we often think about external allyship with the LGBTQ+ community but in the wake of the recent UK Supreme Court ruling on the definition of sex and a reported decrease in support for transgender people (YouGov, 2022), I think it is important to practice allyship across the community. Unfortunately, transphobia is no stranger even to the LGBTQ+ community. As such, I will proudly wear my pins and shirts in support of my trans and non-binary peers, and use my voice to advocate for them, as they too deserve to feel safe and accepted.