On Allyship

For the past several years, I have been on a journey of self-improvement, deprogramming, listening, learning, and growth. Once I began a conscious journey towards the practice of allyship, it has been something that I have kept very close to myself, and not something I’m comfortable speaking on.

The only reason I am saying something now is that I have a very supportive and protective group of friends who believe it’s important I share my stance publicly so that all of my followers and subscribers who identify with marginalized groups understand who I am and my values. 

I am uncomfortable self-identifying as an ally because it is not a title I feel like I can bestow upon myself as a white cis-gendered woman. The title of “ally” is, to me, something that must be earned, and I do not take it lightly. 

I believe with every fiber of my being that I must pursue allyship every day. I must walk this path towards building a better world, uplifting people, and dismantling my own ingrained biases. 

I strive towards allyship. I pursue allyship. I practice allyship.

I have always been uncomfortable publicly discussing how I practice and view allyship. I worry that if I am public about my pursuit of allyship, then could this degrade the work that I do? Am I practicing allyship because it’s the right thing to do, or am I pursuing social clout?

I pursue allyship because it’s the right way to build a better and more beautiful world. I practice allyship to be a better person. I am also definitely not an expert in allyship, and since I don’t feel qualified to speak on it, I’ve never really discussed it directly until now.

I also know that my skills are best served behind the scenes -  building relationships, growing communities, helping people like myself understand our privileged position in the world and expanding their worldview, and making connections between people to uplift, grow, and flourish. I use my privilege and position to create and hold more space at the table for marginalized people. I will always prefer quiet and private conversations over public forums, and out of respect to everyone in these conversations, I keep these conversations private. 

I’m not perfect. No human is. We all step in it, and I’ve certainly done that in my past. But I hope with this statement that I’ve been able to clarify some of my deep core values and beliefs. I am firmly anti-racist, anti-homophobia, anti-transphobia, anti-misogyny, and anti-bigotry. I pursue allyship every day and will continue to practice allyship for the rest of my life.

Written October 10, 2021. Thank you to Nami Gubbi (Nami Sparrow) for her editorial assistance and helping put my thoughts and feelings into coherent sentences. You can find Nami’s Youtube Channel Here.