A space to learn: Stratford-Perth Pride hosting classes for allies

Editor’s note: Sydney Goodwin is the program coordinator for the Stratford-Perth Pride Centre.

Being an ally is one of the most important things to be for a queer loved one, but being an ally is more than just accepting their orientation or saying that it’s fine. To be a true ally means to understand that how they think and feel is different, to stand up for them no matter what, to accept that there are things that you may not know and to take the step to learn what you can. Stratford-Perth Pride is offering a class for those who want to learn, Acronym for Allies. 

The planning for this program began when staff at the Stratford-Perth Pride Centre noticed the amount of messages they were receiving from individuals who want to know how to best talk to/address their loved one who has recently come out to them. They also took from their own personal experiences from people asking invasive questions or having harmful assumptions of their orientations. A lot of times, these questions or assumptions do not come from a place of malice, but instead a place of either misinformation or genuine curiosity.  

There are a lot of misconceptions in regards to different orientations, how to best be an ally, what questions are right to ask and what are inappropriate. That is where Acronym for Allies comes in.

The class is dedicated to going through one orientation per class, going in depth in its history, the different ways that the orientation is expressed, how the orientation is marginalized in today’s society and what an ally can do to show their support. It is also set up to be a place where allies can ask the questions they are unsure about asking and learn why some questions can be considered rude to ask, even if the intentions are to learn.  

When allies take that step to expand what they know about the 2SLGBTQIA+, it helps to create a larger space of safety for queer individuals. Doing something small like having pronouns in the sign off of an email, saying spouse or partner instead of boyfriend/girlfriend, or husband/wife, or wearing a rainbow pin showcases that you are a safe person to be around, and those small actions could mean the world for someone else. 

The next Acronym for Allies class will be held Monday Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. For more information about the classes, check out Stratford-Perth Pride’s Instagram at stratfordperthpride, their Facebook at Stratford Perth Pride, or send them an email at stratfordperthpride@gmail.com.