Become an ALLOUT Ally

logo

Would you like to become an ally?

Or do you know a colleague or Line Manager who might be interested?

Allies are defined as ‘individuals who believe that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should experience full equality in the workplace’

As an ally we would ask that you:

Show visible support that you are an ally
Be familiar with the work of the LGBT+ Staff Network Group ALLOUT
Have knowledge of the University’s different pieces of guidance for LGBT staff
Feel comfortable discussing LGBT+ issues should an individual raise this subject
Know where to signpost LGBT+ staff to, should the need arise
Support the annual Stonewall application

Allies can go further by engaging with the activities of ALLOUT and attending or offering support for the events that take place throughout the year. Since 2017 we have also introduced specific allies - so maybe you are more interested in supporting bisexual or trans colleagues - This is all covered as part of the training, but if you want to know more beforehand, just ask.

During LGBT+ History Month, colleagues and allies in Sport always engage with various activities including how to be an effective ally. See their resources here:

LGBT in Sport

For more information, and to join our ever growing number of allies, please contact lgbt@manchester.ac.uk

Here's what some of Allies have to say:

"During my UCAS interview of a student applicant I was asked by the student about the University's support for LGBT. I proudly pointed at my Rainbow flag in my office window and explained that I was an 'Ally'. They were impressed and left the interview with a very positive view of the University." Professor Amanda Bamford FRSB

“We all have a duty to strive for equality at work, and non-LGBT+ staff have a role to play in this. That’s why I joined ALLOUT Allies. It’s an opportunity to learn about ALLOUT, show your support for LGBT+ staff and try to be a good ally by educating yourself, for example by attending events and hearing from LGBT+ people." Chris Millson

"I am proud to be an Ally for the University of Manchester. Being an ally allows me to show support for the University LGBT community. I hope it provides comfort and an outlet to colleagues who may feel they have no support or feel like they cannot be fully themselves at work. I feel that also discussing why am I an ‘ally’ to my wider colleagues can stop and make them think about their behaviour. For example, not using gender normative language and assumptions could be making others feel uncomfortable without realising. I do believe having this on the open forum has led colleagues to take a step back and think." Anna Healy

plus one of our ALLOUT members:

"As a gay person, growing up in a small Welsh town was difficult, and I had no one to talk to. The only language I heard about the LGBT community was very offensive, teachers didn’t bat an eyelid at hearing homophobic slurs, and no one seemed to support the LGBT community. Even seeing one person wear a pair of rainbow laces or a LGBT poster in one classroom would have made a huge difference to me, so I can’t stress how beneficial being an ally can be, especially if you are visible and vocal with your support." Jake Jones

Training and support

Once you sign up to be an ally you'll be invited to a training session facilitated by another ally with support form the EDI Team. This valuable time talks about the benefits of having allies, how you can contribute as an ally and the positive experiences of others who have been an ally. You also get to learn from an LGBT+ mmeber of staff and how allies are important to them. There are different training dates available throughout the year and the content is delivered on line or in the classroom - visit the training catalogue to book on the next session.

There are also many other resources on our LGBT Guidance Pages and Training pages . The training page includes specific Trans Awareness training and you can request to participate in our upcoming session to be delivered by The Proud Trust by e-mailing lgbt@manchester.ac.uk. ALLOUT members are also encourgaed to become trans, bi and non-binary allies - see below.

We also have specific LGBT+ DVD resources for loan.

What makes a good ally? This short YouTube video from @chescaleigh explains it well - Tips for Being an Ally

Bi, Trans and non-binary Allies

We also offer support for everyone to become a bi or trans ally through this scheme - this extends to (but not exclusively) all bi members of ALLOUT; LGBTQ+ staff who are not trans and cis gendered heterosexual staff. You can read some more here:

Being a Bi Ally