A straight ally is a heterosexual man or woman who has contributed in some way to fostering equality for all human beings, particularly in regards to battling homophobia, ending discrimination, and supporting marriage equality. A straight ally fights for human rights, especially those denied gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer people, with the knowledge that to deny equality to one segment of the population is to diminish all of us as human beings.
It’s not enough to stand alone, because no matter how tall one may stand this sort of social revolution will not be accomplished by one person. It will take a collective effort from all of us ~ gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, male, female, non-binary, queer ~ and change ~ true, lasting, meaningful change ~ can only begin with understanding and kindness, friendship and love.
We stand on the precipice of something great ~ a moment that matters. We have in our reach the power to make a difference, to make a change, to make the world a better place ~ whether that’s in something as simple as a shared laugh, or as deeply felt as a new way of thinking about what you may hold closest to your heart.
Tomorrow marks the premiere installment of a new series, ‘Profile of a Straight Ally’, in which I write a feature on a straight ally who has especially moved or impressed me in some way, specifically regarding their stance on equality. When it was time to pop my straight ally cherry for this series, it came down to a few choice contenders. Ben Cohen and Hudson Taylor were at the top of the list, and both luminaries will be profiled in the coming months, but for my first straight ally profile, I wanted to get a little more personal and select someone closer to me: Adam ‘Skip’ Montross ~ my friend and webmaster.
