Being an ally is not only about changing our thinking patterns, but also about challenging ourselves daily to put others’ needs before our own comfort. It forces us to look out for our blind spots, to be accountable for our words and actions. Most of all it requires 100% commitment to practice, practice, and practice, not when it is convenient or we are getting appreciated for our efforts but 24/7 whether someone else notices or not. The following are some further thoughts on the process.

How to Tell the Difference Between Real Solidarity and ‘Ally Theater’
November 4, 2015
by Mia McKenzie
f you’re a marginalized person who’s involved in activist work, or who spends a lot of time on social media, or both, you almost certainly deal with a lot of so-called “allies” whose idea of “allyship” is so convoluted you’d rather just do without it. … “allyship” has become mere pointless performance than anything actually useful to marginalized people. That’s why I’ve long since stopped using the word at all, except in snarky quotation marks.
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So You Call Yourself an Ally: 10 Things All ‘Allies’ Need to Know
November 8, 2013
by Jamie Utt
As happens every time that I read something from Black Girl Dangerous, I recently found myself snapping, nodding, and yelling out “YES!” while reading a piece from Mia McKenzie.
Beyond that, though, it’s time for those of us who fashion ourselves “allies” or as “currently operating in solidarity with” to have a conversation.
More and more, I am seeing precisely what McKenzie is describing – people of identity privilege who are identifying as “allies” almost as if it is a core part of their identity.
What’s worse, I keep seeing people respond to criticism about their oppressive language or problematic humor with, “But I’m an ally!”
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“SO YOU WANT TO BE AN ALLY.”
– Lamont, A. Guide to Allyship.
The term ally has been around for some time, and recently many critics 3, 15 say that it has lost its original meaning. Instead of being used to identify one’s role within a collective struggle, it has come to symbolize a token identity – a kind of “badge” that people wear to show they are one of the “good guys”.
There are multiple terms a person can use when identifying the role that they actively play within anti-oppressive work.
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The Do’s and Don’ts of Being a Good Ally
OCT 01, 2009
by KARNYTHIA
1. Don’t derail a discussion.
2. Do read links/books
3. Don’t expect your feelings to be a priority
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How to Be a White Ally to Trans People of Color
BY REBECCA KLING
NOVEMBER 20 2019
Like most nonprofits, NCTE’s (National Center for Transgender Equality) supporter base is primarily middle-class white folks; its leadership is the same. NCTE publicly voiced support for transgender people of color while the organization’s internal workings were not living up to its stated values of equity and racial justice. In addition to constant workplace frustrations that impacted all employees, I saw NCTE repeatedly hire people of color only to lose them over different communication styles, conflicting priorities, or through not trusting them to do the work they were hired to do.