Straight ally

Straight ally is a colloquial term that describes a heterosexual person who supports equal civil rights, gender equality, and LGBT social movements. Usually, a straight ally is inclusive of various diversity, and may have many gay and lesbian friends.

Some organizations, such as gay-straight alliances often consist predominantly of straight ally members.

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is one national organization that works specifically to bring straight allies into the LGBT rights movement. In 2007, the organization launched a new project, Straight for Equality [http://www.straightforequality.org] , to help more straight allies become engaged in achieving equality for all.

Prominent examples of strong allies include Elton John's lyricist Bernie Taupin, actors Jennifer Aniston, Charlize Theron, Cybil Shepard, Judith Light, Ben Affleck, Brad Pitt and Stuart Townsend, director Jonathan Miller, [cite web |last=Horsfall |first=Allan |coauthors=Gosling, Ray |title=A History of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality |publisher=Gay Monitor |url=http://www.gaymonitor.co.uk/chehistory2.htm |quote=Other vice-presidents included:... Dr Jonathan Miller... |accessdate=2006-12-02] comedian Kathy Griffin, singers Madonna, Cher, Dannii Minogue and Barbra Streisand, musician's and spoken word artist's Henry Rollins and Jello Biafra, evolutionary scientist Richard Dawkins, [cite book |last=Dawkins |first=Richard |authorlink=Richard Dawkins |title=The God Delusion |publisher=Houghton Mifflin |origyear=2006 |chapter=A deeply religious non-believer |chapterurl=http://houghtonmifflinbooks.com/catalog/titledetail.cfm?textType=excerpt&titleNumber=689776 |id=ISBN 0-618-68000-4 |quote= [F] ree speech is deemed not to include ‘hate speech’. But hate only has to prove it is religious, and it no longer counts as hate.... You can’t get away with saying, ‘If you try to stop me from insulting homosexuals it violates my freedom of prejudice.’ But you can get away with saying, ‘It violates my freedom of religion.’ What, when you think about it, is the difference? |accessdate=2006-12-02] NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, philosopher Daniel Dennett, [cite news |last=Dennett |first=Daniel |authorlink=Daniel Dennett |title=The Bright Stuff |publisher=The New York Times |date=2003-07-12 |url=http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/bright/bright_index.html |quote=I am neither gay nor African-American, but nobody can use a slur against blacks or homosexuals in my hearing and get away with it. |accessdate=2006-12-02] United States Democratic Senator Russ Feingold, Robert Lewan president of the Michigan GSA, Australian Greens Senator Kerry Nettle, [cite press release |title=Greens Oppose Howard Stance On Gay Marriages |date=2003-08-05 |url=http://www.australianpolitics.com/news/2003/08/03-08-05a.shtml |quote=There are thousands of same sex couples currently raising children in Australia and providing a secure and loving environment for their children.... To support the continued discrimination against gay couples who want to marry is at best mean spirited, and at worst homophobic hysteria. |accessdate=2006-12-02] civil rights leaders such as Coretta Scott King [cite news |first=Derrick Z. |last=Jackson |title=The King who led on world peace |url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/02/01/the_king_who_led_on_world_peace/ |publisher=The Boston Globe |date=2006-02-01 |accessdate=2006-12-06 |quote=I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people and I should stick to the issue of racial justice. But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'] and Julian Bond, linguist Noam Chomsky, [cite news |last=Shawn |first=Wallace |title=Interview with Noam Chomsky |work=Final Edition Magazine |publisher=Seven Stories Press |date=Autumn 2004 |url=http://www.chomsky.info/interviews/20040917.pdf |format=PDF |quote=So, just in our lifetime, itʼs different.... The same with gay rights. There have been big changes in consciousness, and theyʼre important, and they make it a better world. |accessdate=2006-12-02] historian Richard Carrier, [cite web |last=Carrier |first=Richard (editor) |authorlink=Richard Carrier |title=Internet Infidels June 1999 Feedback |publisher=Internet Infidels |url=http://www.infidels.org/infidels/feedback/1999/june.html |quote= [M] orality has to do with how you actually treat people, and whether you respect their rights, not with who you date.... Social stigmatization of homosexuality... causes misery and death.... |accessdate=2006-12-02] and mothers Betty DeGeneres and Judy Shepard.Fact|date=February 2007

References

External links

* [http://community.pflag.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?pid=642&srcid=565] Straight for Equality: "the guide to being a straight ally"
* [http://www.hrc.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Coming_Out/Get_Informed4/Straight_Allies/Coming_Out_as_a_Straight_Ally2.htm Gay rights organization "Human Rights Campaign" on being a straight ally]