Here are five things we can all do to support our LGBTQ friends and community members:
Be there to talk, and give hugs if possible.
Letting the LGBT people in your life know that you love them or care about them and that you’re there to talk if they need you goes a long way
Be vocal about your support in communities of straight people.
As a straight ally, you often have the ear of the people who most need to hear about loving and respecting LGBT people.
Amplify the voices of LGBT (especially Latinx) people
Often, people who don’t pay attention to LGBT voices will if straight people share those voices.
Get involved in LGBT activism.
To prevent attacks from happening again in the future, we need continued activism. Contact your local LGBT community center, and ask how you can help. There are some LGBT spaces that are only for LGBT people, but there are many spaces where you are needed.
Confront homophobic and transphobic people in your life.
For LGBT people, confronting homophobic or transphobic people can be incredibly dangerous. As a straight ally, you’re in the position to do so with far fewer consequences. Do not tolerate hate speech at work. Don’t tolerate harmful “jokes” at parties or family gatherings. If you see discrimination happening, say something.