Just respecting diversity in your school or work environment is arguably not enough. Many marginalised groups of people (e.g. people of colour, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities) are targeted by oppression in other walks of their life. It is everybody’s responsibility to understand how they can support people who might need their help,
For example; let’s suppose a manager asks Sally and John what they did at the weekend. Sally, who identifies as straight, has no reason to wonder if what she will say will make someone uncomfortable, or lead to a “joke” at her expense. That is because our culture is set up for straight people to be themselves with very little thought. But for John, who identifies as gay, a simple question about his weekend may cause anxiety – how to act, who to trust, what to share. Unlike Sally, he does not have the privilege of going an entire day without remembering his sexual orientation.
In this example, Sally can recognise her privilege by understanding that she can answer the question with very little thought compared to her LGBTQ colleague. She can then use her privilege to answer the question in a way that makes John feel safe and comfortable with sharing his answer. She can even go further and have a talk with her manager, in private, about how these questions may make different people feel and what they can collectively do to help make the work environment feel more inclusive in the future. These positive steps are what we call being an ‘ally’.
By becoming an ally, you are helping all groups of people reach their full potential and flourish in society, not just yourself.
You can start small by becoming educated on the history of why a certain group is marginalised, speaking up when your friends or family use hateful or ignorant language and listening to what marginalised people are saying. You can go further by volunteering at local community groups who support marginalised people, donating to social justice charities or showing up and supporting an event held by a marginalised group.
Don’t hold back in your school or work environment either. You could set up a support group, make time to coordinate training sessions on diversity or organise a mentorship scheme for people from marginalised groups who might benefit from having a relatable and inspiring role model to look up to. These are all ways you can actively lift people who are different from you and promote a positive, more inclusive society for everyone.
