Want to Be An Ally to the Disability Community? First Step, Let's Listen To Them and Respect How They Identify

I do want to be an ally, and to empower allyship across and amongst queer and other marginalized identities.

My friend Karol (author of the amazing Schneider Family Book Award-winning YA novel Cursed) and I recently discussed this, and she shared this article by Ryan Theodosia with me, How person-first language isolates disabled people.

I was really struck by this line,

"When deciding how to treat disabled people, the disabled people’s opinions should always outweigh those of able-bodied people."

Yes. That makes total sense.

And wanting to do the right thing and having the information to actually do the right thing are distinct. I've used the phrase "people with disabilities" before, not knowing any of this. I won't use that expression going forward, to respect my disabled friends and their community.

I encourage you to read the full piece here.

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,

Stay safe,
Lee

Passing the Mic to Shea Diamond, Speaking For "Americans For the Equality Act"

Sometimes, the best thing you can do as an ally is to give your microphone to those who aren't being heard enough.

Listen to Shea Diamond, singer/songwriter and Trans activist, speak up about the Americans for Equality Act:




You can find out more about the Americans for Equality Act here.

And while we're listening, here's one of Shea's songs that's been called an anthem for the Trans community, I am Her:





The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,

Lee

Is My Cis Privilege Showing?

I've been thinking about my signature block when I send an email.

Yeah, I know. That sounds pretty self-involved.

But it's sort of the email equivalent of a name tag. And more and more, when I'm going to LGBTQ-inclusive, LGBTQ-sensitive events, I don't just put my name, "Lee," I'm also asked to share my personal gender pronoun (or PDP). I put He/Him/His under my name, and that's been that.

Only... I recently got an email from someone who had, after their name in the signature block, their pronouns. And I starting thinking... Should I do the same?

Given that I look like a guy, and my pronouns are the guy ones, would it just be perceived as me flaunting my cis privilege?

But as I dug deeper into why I maybe should do it, I came up with three better reasons:

1. To acknowledge there are other options besides the binary cis vision of gender.

2. To present the idea that someone who presents as a guy might not feel the "guy" pronouns works for them.

3. It's a way to for me to communicate to people living their lives outside cis-normative gender boundaries that I am their ally.

And I'm all about being an Ally.

So now, my signature block reads:

Lee Wind, M.Ed.
pronouns: he/him/his

and then the rest.

How about you? Would you consider adding your pronouns to your signature, and maybe even your social media profiles, as a sign of ally-ship for the Trans and gender non-conforming community?

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee


ps: because most cis people don't know what "PGP," or personal gender pronouns, stands for, I've gone with the simpler "pronouns" followed by a colon.

pps: need a refresher on "cis" versus "trans" in regards to gender? Check out episode 4 of Gender 101.

OUT for Safe Schools - a very cool program that started in Los Angeles and is now going to nine other school districts in the U.S.A.

I love the sound of this program!

Since the introduction of the OUT for Safe Schools initiative, thousands of teachers and staff members have been wearing rainbow badges to identify themselves as LGBTQ allies and protectors of LGBTQ students. Now, nine other school districts throughout the country – in New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, Duval County (Florida), San Francisco and Washington, D.C. – have requested the program, along with more than 80,000 badges.

The program encourages educators, administrators and other school district employees to “come out” and be visible allies for LGBT students in an effort to make the schools safer, more welcoming places.

Hurray!

Remember, there's no such thing as a closeted ally.

Let's put that to a hashtag, shall we?

#ThereIsNoSuchThingAsAClosetedAlly

Stand Proud!