3 thoughts on “Do’s and Don’ts for Straight Allies”
I could not disagree more. If our allies shut up, then it looks like our enemies speak for heterosexuals en masse. All I ask is that our allies take their cues from us and accept that from time to time they’re going to get it wrong and be called out on it, just like we would call out (or ‘call in’) a member of our own community who said something dumb.
You’re right, of course, and I think below the line is the place for clarification on my deliberately short and deliberately abrasive post. This was definitely not a message to cis heterosexual people who do really support us; rather a message to those people who assume straight ally hero as an identity, those who use their self-described ally status as a way to invade our communities and claim a place in our safe spaces, those who claim that as allies they face some sort of oppression. Basically a message to those people who think of themselves as allies, but speak over and instead of us, and argue with us when we say that what they are doing is not helpful.
I don’t want straight people who stand with us to shut up – not at all. Just the ones who stand in front of us and expect some sort of credit from us without actually taking any risk. And to those people I still say “shut up; don’t speak”.
John Avocado 
I could not disagree more. If our allies shut up, then it looks like our enemies speak for heterosexuals en masse. All I ask is that our allies take their cues from us and accept that from time to time they’re going to get it wrong and be called out on it, just like we would call out (or ‘call in’) a member of our own community who said something dumb.
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You’re right, of course, and I think below the line is the place for clarification on my deliberately short and deliberately abrasive post. This was definitely not a message to cis heterosexual people who do really support us; rather a message to those people who assume straight ally hero as an identity, those who use their self-described ally status as a way to invade our communities and claim a place in our safe spaces, those who claim that as allies they face some sort of oppression. Basically a message to those people who think of themselves as allies, but speak over and instead of us, and argue with us when we say that what they are doing is not helpful.
I don’t want straight people who stand with us to shut up – not at all. Just the ones who stand in front of us and expect some sort of credit from us without actually taking any risk. And to those people I still say “shut up; don’t speak”.
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Someone like the people addressed in my most recent post, perhaps? ^_^
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