Ally Week

Ally Week is a national youth-led effort encouraging students to be allies with the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) members of their community in standing against bullying, harassment and name-calling. It takes place in K-12 schools and colleges.[1][2] It was created by Joe Montana and other youth members of the Gay Lesbian & Straight Education Network GLSEN National JumpStart Student Leadership Team.[3][4] It is done in the same spirit as Day of Silence to educate on anti-LGBT+ harassment issues.[5][6] It is usually held in September or October, often coinciding with National Coming Out Day on October 11.[7] October is also LGBT History Month. The event started in October 2005 and has grown since.[8]

The goal of Ally Week is to diminish stereotypes and exclusion while highlighting that peer support for LGBT+ students is stronger than the students themselves may have thought existed.[9] In a survey of 240 undergraduates regarding what peer support they felt LGBT+ students had, research found that their personal attitudes were significantly more positive than they thought their friends and fellow students held.[10] Allies are identified as supporters but not necessarily members of a marginalized group.[11]

During Ally Week people are encouraged to sign an ally pledge "taking a stand for a safe and harassment-free school for all students", and that they will not use anti-LGBT+ language and slurs, they will intervene if possible to stop bullying and harassment and support safer schools efforts.[12][13] In 2008 the pledge cards were mistakenly used with kindergartners and opponents of gay marriage used this to correlate to the Proposition 8 battle in California, GLSEN stated they would review materials and ensure they were appropriate for all grade levels.[14]

In 2010 the campaign encouraged awareness of the Safe Schools Improvement Act, similar to the recently signed "Dignity For All Students Act" (New York State) legislation to protect LGBT+ students from bullying.[15][16]

The 2018 days for Ally Week is September 24–28.[17]

See also

Notes
  1. Windmeyer, 256.
  2. Meyer, 78.
  3. Goldman, 261.
  4. Jason Lamphier, "Hottest Young Gay Activist", page 131, Out, June 2006.
  5. Goldman, 323.
  6. Marcus, 115.
  7. Meyer, 78.
  8. Daryl Presgraves, "GLSEN's Ally Week Brings Attention to Importance of 'Allies'in Safe Schools Movement ; Students Across Country Take Pledge to be Allies Against Anti-LGBT+ Bullying", U.S. Newswire, October 16, 2006.
  9. Goldman, 187.
  10. Goldman, 187.
  11. Meyer, 78.
  12. Goldman, 187.
  13. Meyer, 78.
  14. "Parents protest student pledge forms on gays", Associated Press, October 30, 2008.
  15. Joseph Pedro, "Going Back to School — Let's Make it Safe!", Passport Magazine, August 30, 2010.
  16. Joseph Pedro, "New York Governor Signs Comprehensive Anti-Bullying Legislation", Passport Magazine, September 8, 2010.
  17. "About Ally Week". GLSEN. Retrieved 2017-09-27.

Sources
  • Goldman, Linda, Coming out, coming in: nurturing the well-being and inclusion of gay youth in mainstream society, CRC Press, 2008, ISBN 0-415-95824-5, ISBN 978-0-415-95824-0.
  • Marcus, Eric, What If Someone I Know Is Gay?: Answers to Questions about What It Means to Be Gay and Lesbian, Simon and Schuster, 2007, ISBN 1-4169-4970-4, ISBN 978-1-4169-4970-1.
  • Meyer, Elizabeth J., Gender and Sexual Diversity in Schools: Volume 10 of Explorations of Educational Purpose, Springer, 2010, ISBN 90-481-8558-0, ISBN 978-90-481-8558-0.
  • Windmeyer, Shane L., The Advocate college guide for LGBT+ students, Alyson Books, 2006, ISBN 1-55583-857-X, 9781555838577.
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