Most people want to be kind and compassionate, but it takes work to undo the underlying negativity we’re taught. This allyship guide contains basic concepts to start your social justice journey.
Social Justice Glossary
These are common terms that will be used throughout this guide. These terms are often tossed around in social justice spaces, although they’re not frequently explained.
Social Justice
Social justice is the belief that all people deserve equal economic, political, and social opportunities.
In an ideal world, everyone has an equal chance to be happy, healthy, and grow. However, society and history are filled with injustice; certain people get extra opportunities while others get less based on uncontrollable things, like race, gender, and class.
The goal of social justice is to remedy injustice.
Oppression vs Marginalization
Oppression is the unjust or cruel use of power over others; marginalization is the unjust treatment of a person or group based on identity.
Oppression is carried out by powerful entities, like governments and the ultra-wealthy. For more information, continue reading “Types of Oppression” in this guide.
Allyship & Allies
Allyship is the practice of actively working towards social justice, even when particular injustices do not directly affect you.
Allyship is an active and lifelong pursuit. It is not a fad. Allyship is an ongoing and tiring commitment to calling out yourself and others when you benefit from injustice.
There are many terms people use to get this point across: advocates, supporters, accomplices, co-conspirators, etc. The general idea is that there is more to being an ally than just being passively supportive. To practice social justice and be a compassionate human, you must commit to the practice even when it is difficult; if allyship were easy, injustice would not exist.
Allies are not perfect people who will never do wrong. Allies are humans who generally aim to create better societies and are willing to work to make that society a reality.
Looking for more educational guides?
Browse Trans Solidarity Project’s guides, or check out these posts:
What Are Identity Markers?
To understand marginalization, you must understand identity markers. Identity markers are traits grouping us with others, which can be used to cause harm or create community. These traits range from race to religion to everyday hobbies.
Identity markers bind people together:
- A Christian congregation is bound together through its joint identity with Jesus.
- A Black student organization collaborates through shared experiences as Black youth.
- A pride coalition meets through shared experiences of non-traditional sexualities and gender identities.
- A DnD group hangs out together through their shared love of fantasy worldbuilding.
Everyone has identity markers. However, most people never have to think critically about their identity – which is why they are prone to believe they don’t have identity markers.
Exercise: Identity Markers
Think about which identities matter most to you. Everyone has a racial identity, but how important is race to you? Do you feel more strongly towards your racial identity compared to religion, sexuality, or gender? Do you care more about your hobbies than religion?
There are no wrong answers. It’s normal for some identities to matter less to you. This shapes how you see the world.
People are more likely to feel strongly about identity markers that they are harmed by. A Black man is more likely to identify race first if he encounters racism in his daily life, even if he identifies as Muslim or lower-class. A queer youth unsupported by family is likely to verbalize sexuality or gender identity first, while LGBTQIA+ youth supported by their communities are likely to express hobbies first.
Identity markers influence whether you view the world as fundamentally fair or warped by cruelty.
What Is Privilege?
Privilege is the result of society valuing certain identities over others, giving them unearned advantages. Privilege is entirely outside of one’s control; no one chooses to be born Black, able-bodied, or transgender.
Privilege does NOT indicate goodness. People cannot choose most identity markers assigned to them. Privilege DOES indicate unearned advantages, but having privilege does NOT mean you have never struggled.
Everyone experiences hardship. Everyone has a couple of privileges and non-privileges. The point is that privilege allows one not to be weighed down by additional baggage tied to one’s identity.
“We highlight how systems inequitably distribute power to some while withholding it from others – based on who we are. We refer to people who are granted disproportionate power as ‘privileged,’ ‘majoritized,’ ‘centered,’ etc. And those from whom power is withheld as ‘oppressed,’ ‘minoritized,’ ‘marginalized,’ ect. Now, nobody is only one of those two. We’re both, depending on which situation we’re in, and what dimensions of ourselves are brought to the forefront.”
– “The Social Justice Power Inverse,” It’s Pronounced Metrosexual/Sam Killermann
Privilege is a concept, but it’s not really defeatable. You’ll have as much luck defeating privilege as you would defeating racism. Social justice does not want you to experience hardship or give up privilege; social justice exists to create equal opportunities for everyone by eliminating the baggage associated with a lack of privilege.
Allies use their privilege to call out injustice. Privilege is a handy tool when wielded appropriately – it’s much easier for a white woman to record a police officer pulling over a Black man than for that same Black man to handle it alone. Social justice does not want white guilt; it wants change.
The Wheel of Power/Privilege frames several identities on a spectrum of power. Every human identity is valued as superior or inferior.
Consider the Language category. If you are a native English speaker, your language is the global lingua franca. English is the first language translated; it’s the gold standard in trade, diplomacy, and science.
Non-native English speakers have relative privilege. They had the opportunity to learn and open doors, but not nearly as many as native speakers. And worst of all, individuals who do not speak fluent English are barred from navigating an English-dominated world.
Being a native English speaker doesn’t make you a bad person; you didn’t choose your native language. But you’ve not experienced additional hardship because of your ability or inability to understand English, either.
Remember that privilege is based on identity markers. Someone may be marginalized because they are Black, but hold privilege because they are a US citizen or heterosexual. If you’re still struggling with privilege, this comic does a great job illustrating it.
The Five Fundamentals of Social Justice
Social justice is the belief that all people deserve equal economic, political, and social opportunities. Five foundations fuel that belief: human rights, resources, equity, participation, and diversity.
There is no singular principle that trumps the others. The pursuit of social justice requires all five concepts; without all five, your allyship will crumble and create later injustice.
What Are Human Rights?
Human rights are basic freedoms and protections that every single person is entitled to solely because they are a human being. It does not matter where they are from, the color of their skin, their gender identity, past crimes, or their ability to speak English. Being human is enough.
Human rights do not need to be earned and cannot be lost. You are born entitled to these rights.
Most of the world follows the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document containing 30 fundamental rights established in 1948 in response to World War II. It is the most translated document in the world and is available in over 500 different languages, as well as a comic and simplified version.
The UDHR is not comprehensive. It’s a starter guide for countries to understand 30 basic principles that the majority of the world agreed as integral to being human. Before the UDHR, the world lacked any consensus before the Holocaust that all people deserve certain rights.
The UDHR is through the United Nations. The United Nations DOES have power, but that power is not absolute. The UN controls the International Court of Justice; it can enforce collective trade embargoes. It can document world powers and hold them accountable to all 193 member countries of the General Assembly. The United Nations cannot physically force countries to stop committing human rights violations because it does not have a military.
What Is Participation?
Participation is whether all people have access to voice their opinions and create meaningful change. It is an injustice to be denied participation in creating change.
Most people understand how being denied the right to vote or participate in public forums isn’t fair. We believe we deserve to choose what laws impact us, whether it’s through direct democracy or electing representatives. Being denied is an injustice.
Participation also means individuals have the genuine ability to create change. Votes should create actual policy reform and reflect what people actually want. Being allowed to vote, but never having those votes valued, is also an injustice.
Injustice Example: Give Puerto Rico Statehood
Puerto Rico is a United States territory with over three million residents. That’s more than the combined populations of Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Like all US territories, Puerto Ricans cannot vote in presidential elections and cannot have any federal representation in Congress, even though they are birthright citizens.
Puerto Rico pays five billion dollars each year in federal taxes. Yet Puerto Rico has been denied becoming the US’s 51st state despite majority referendums in 2024, 2020, 2017, and 2012. The United States sought representation so much that it went to war over independence, but it refuses similar representation for Puerto Rico.
Injustice Example: Congress Should Represent the Public
In most democracies, legislation has a greater chance of becoming law if a greater percentage of voters support that bill. The inverse is true; unfavorable bills are unlikely to become law based on public interest.
ALL legislation discussed in Congress has a 30% chance of becoming federal law, regardless of whether Americans love or hate that bill. The average American has “a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact” on whether bills become law.
This is not true of America’s upper classes. Political scientists have observed that Congress has a 30% chance of approving legislation UNLESS it affects wealthy interests. In those circumstances, legislation directly reflects the approval ratings of America’s upper class.
This is why the average American supports accessible healthcare, abortion protection, and same-sex marriage, although Congress refuses to support those interests. The American public never supported a national ban on TikTok, but massive corporations like Meta fuel bills.
What Are Resources?
Resources are items necessary to live happy and healthy lives, BUT can run out due to being finite. In a just society, everyone has equal resources. Everyone has clean water, healthy food options, quality healthcare, and good housing.
Welfare programs aim to distribute resources. A minimum wage requires employers to pay staff as inflation increases; financial aid seeks to provide higher education despite climbing tuition. Universal healthcare, free childcare, pensions, and income supplements are just a few types of resource welfare programs.
In unjust societies, resources are hoarded by a small number of people often referred to as the elite, upper class, or Top 10%. Resources become inaccessible to the general public, especially those in poverty. Social justice aims to ensure that all people have the minimum amount of resources necessary.
Injustice Example: Is There Actually a Housing Shortage?
Wealthy individuals and corporations purchase massive amounts of land to rent out property. The United States does not have a “housing shortage” because we lack houses; there is a housing shortage because houses are being hoarded by a small number of people, intentionally raising prices as high as possible. There is a shortage of affordable houses.
Injustice Example: Medication Shouldn’t Be Worth Dying Over
Medicine is only allowed to be officially produced by licensed entities in the United States, protected by corporate-owned patents. Pharmaceutical companies have the power to price medication with the understanding that if a product is life-saving, Americans will pay any price to not die.
Even though insulin costs $2 to $4 to produce, the average cost per vial in 2022 was $275 in the United States. The exact same vial costs $20 in the UK and $43 in Mexico. Unfortunately, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi know Americans will pay anything to keep themselves and their loved ones alive.
What Is Equity?
Equity is the principle of giving individuals resources and opportunities based on need. Equality is the act of giving everyone the same resources and opportunities, regardless of need. Everyone wants equality, but it takes equity to get there.
Over the centuries, certain groups have had greater access to resources and freedoms than others based on privilege. This becomes generational wealth, where it is easier for you to succeed because of the hard work of your parents and grandparents. Even though we promise equal resources and freedoms now, centuries of generational wealth have put many people behind. To create a just world, we must implement short-term equity for those without generational wealth.
Equality is great when we’re talking about rights. Everyone deserves the same freedoms. Equality is also great when we talk about ideal societies, dreams where everyone has the same opportunities. Resources are finite and have been dispensed across society unequally over history; equity is necessary to ensure resources go to those who need them most.
The above illustration is common in social justice spaces, used to demonstrate equality, equity, and finite resources.
Panel #1 shows the reality of resources, where Blue has hoarded most of the boxes despite not needing them. Purple struggles to stay above ground.
In panel #2, all three individuals have been given one box equally to watch the baseball game over the fence. To no fault of their own, this solution only helps Blue and Red; Purple is too short to see over the fence still. Crates are finite, so we don’t have any more crates to give.
The crates are given equitably in panel #3: Blue does not need a crate because he is tall, Red gets one crate, and Purple is given two crates to finally see over the fence.
Panel #4 is the ultimate goal of social justice. The fence that barred the three individuals from viewing the game has been removed.
Injustice Example: Sharecropping to Redlining
There is an immense wealth gap between Black and white families in the United States. Many white families have had over two hundred years to purchase land, build businesses, and grow generational wealth. This wealth translates to university degrees, political offices, and the stock market.
Black families were enslaved, forcibly brought to labor in America as property from birth until death. White immigrants were at least able to bring petty cash or find employment, even if it was difficult. Even after slavery was abolished, the cycle continued under predatory sharecropping to keep Black families in debt to white landlords. Within the last century, financial institutions had blanket bans on loaning money to Black families because they were “risky investments.” Black Americans have only recently been given equal opportunities to attend university or create businesses.
Black families lack generational wealth. Even though opportunities are provided equally now, Black Americans lack the starting tools to unlock those opportunities, like college degrees, networked connections, or capital.
Exercise: Balancing the School Budget
Congress recently approved a bill to bring more public schools technologically up-to-date with new Chromebooks. Unfortunately, the bill only approved five million dollars, and you have been chosen to determine how the new computers are given out.
You could give the Chromebooks out equally. All school districts, regardless of income level, test scores, or population, will get five new computers. This is the fairest solution, but it is not efficient: public education has a huge funding gap, so rich suburban neighborhoods have plenty of Chromebooks compared to poor rural and urban districts.
You could give the Chromebooks out equitably. School districts will be allotted Chromebooks based on the number of computers they already have. Some districts will get a Chromebook for every student, others will get a handful of new computers, and some districts will get none. While this method is not fair, it is the most effective to close the tech gap.
This exercise can be applied to welfare, because equitable need is how welfare is operated throughout most of the world. Food assistance (SNAP) isn’t given to EVERY American; it’s given to Americans based on income-related need. Medicaid, social security, Pell grants, housing choice vouchers, and tax credits are all operated based on equitable need.
What Is Diversity?
Socially just societies listen and value opinions from different backgrounds. This includes different racial, religious, economic, sexual, and even political backgrounds. When powerful organizations and circles lack diversity, ask WHY others are unable to participate.
Echo chambers amplify biases and lead to further polarization, harming everyone. Diverse backgrounds force us to develop and defend our ideas. Good ideas need to be challenged to become great.
Public scandals and accidents ensue when diversity isn’t present. Amazon wouldn’t have served watermelon and Kool-Aid for Juneteenth if Black people had been in the boardroom. A local supermarket wouldn’t put up Chinese New Year lanterns for sale in early December if the owner listened to others telling him the Lunar New Year isn’t January 1st.
How Are These Foundations Connected?
In 2026, 90% of S&P 500 and Fortune 500 CEOs were white cisgender men. Why?
Using the five foundations of social justice, we can dissect why this really happens.
- America’s wealthy have the largest impact on US laws, allowing them to PARTICIPATE in change. CEOs are more likely to lobby funds ending DEI, cutting taxes, and deregulation.
- Without DIVERSITY, CEOs are more likely to hire white cisgender men like themselves. Unless pushed, they don’t think about maternity leave, Ramadan, or transgender-inclusive healthcare coverage.
- CEOs need high-level degrees, capital, and connections gained from generational wealth. They don’t need EQUITY because they were given the best cards growing up.
- Wealthy individuals don’t worry about healthcare, education, shelter, or food. These HUMAN RIGHTS aren’t guaranteed in America, but they can focus on higher education and career advancement instead of basic needs.
- It takes RESOURCES to create wealth. On average, white cisgender men have more time to study or network since they don’t have to worry about getting a second job to pay rent.
Is Your Allyship Active?
Allyship is not easy. It doesn’t matter if anyone is watching or if you’ll get more followers for posting in solidarity. You’re an ally because you’re a good person and want a better world, even if it might cost you followers.
Great activists are allies first. Not being an ally dooms your activism to repeat harm from greater society, like First-Wave Suffragists refusing to include women of color in their meetings. An activist who refuses to include allyship in their praxis will always be a bad activist.
Allyship is a lifelong practice accompanied by the decision to keep learning, even when you mess up. No one is a jerk for not knowing the latest PC term as long as you’re committed to correcting yourself as needed. Good intentions are only valuable if they come with a willingness to accept mistakes and keep going.
What Are Stereotypes & Bias?
Stereotypes are generalized beliefs we make based on previous experiences to keep ourselves safe. We make broad assumptions that a brightly colored frog will be poisonous or that a green banana won’t be very sweet.
Stereotypes can be good. We stereotype growling bears as likely to maul us, leading us to safety. Stereotypes can also be bad, especially when applied to other humans.
Throughout human history, stereotypes have informed humans that we should stay with people like ourselves to stay safe. A different clan won’t take care of you when you’re injured – they might even become irate and attack. An Englishwoman in the Middle Ages might stereotype French people as dangerous and bloodthirsty. She’s been told about countless wars between England and France, so keeping her family away was a stereotype to seek safety.
Stereotypes are counterproductive today. Intercultural dialogue and diplomacy triumph over violence because war isn’t popular. Instead, stereotypes influence us to think worse of people based on identity markers, like being Black, transgender, disabled, or female.
Unconscious bias refers to implicit stereotypes, beliefs we fundamentally hold in our inner psyche despite knowing better. We grow up in unjust worlds, unconsciously teaching us biases through parents, extended family, friends, teachers, religion, and communities.
Implicit stereotypes are unconscious because you rarely think about them consciously. Like most of the unconscious self, these stereotypes are irrational and poorly formed. It doesn’t even matter if you’re directly impacted by those stereotypes; Black Americans commonly hold anti-Black unconscious bias, even if it’s counterproductive.
Want to learn more about your own unconscious biases? Project Implicit is an international collective by Harvard University that lets users test a variety of biases for free, like homophobia, Islamophobia, ableism, racism, sexism, ageism, etc.
What is Oppression?
Oppression is the unjust use of power or authority. Oppression manifests in at least one of three ways: institutionally, culturally, or individually. Like the five fundamentals of social justice, no singular type of oppression is superior; oppression feeds into itself. All three forms of oppression must be combated to create meaningful change.
What Is Individual Oppression?
Individual oppression is cruel feelings, assumptions, actions, and behaviors that any one person has towards another. Oppression on a one-on-one basis is usually individual oppression because it does not require much power to simply be cruel.
Common Examples of Individual Oppression
- Physically harming another person
- Misgendering or deadnaming
- Telling a sexist joke
- Calling someone a derogatory term
Individual Oppression Example
While walking home with their groceries, queer couple Destiny and Addison are holding hands in public. A furious man storms up to them, calls them d*kes, and shoves them to the ground before he’s pulled away by bystanders.
The above example checks all the boxes for individual oppression. It’s a very localized example of one person acting out towards two other individuals based on his personal prejudices – and he doesn’t appear to have any remarkable power or authority.
What is Institutional Oppression?
Institutional oppression is cruel laws, policies, and practices enforced by groups, organizations, or people with immense power. Institutional oppression is the type of cruelty most people envision when discussing the injustices of the world.
“Institution” is a vague word, but it includes a lot of people. Institutions include political figures, like Congress and the Supreme Court, as well as local school boards, lobbying groups, and corporations. Institutional oppression is when presidents and CEOs make cruel decisions, but it’s also bureaucracy and red tape in our everyday lives.
Common Examples of Institutional Oppression
- Laws prohibiting abortion or same-sex marriage
- Businesses refusing to interview Black names
- Insurance companies requiring certain high-level diagnoses for hormone replacement therapy
- Banks that refuse to give loans or mortgages to low-income households
Institutional Oppression Example
Corporation™ makes an official policy that all transgender staff must use the restroom as their sex assigned at birth rather than the one that matches their gender identity while working.
This example could apply to a mega-business like Walmart or Amazon as well as a local store with only three employees. This is a classic example of institutional oppression because it’s a cruel policy being enforced by an entity with authority, such as a boss, board director, or corporation. Institutional oppression can be carried out by individual people, but it’s defined by the level of power someone has based on circumstance.
What Is Cultural Oppression?
Cultural oppression (also known as structural oppression) is society’s collective beliefs regarding certain identities. These stereotypes and unconscious biases influence our interpretations of marginalized communities, such as people of color or LGBTQIA+ people.
Out of the three types of oppression, cultural oppression is often the most difficult to grasp. Most people cannot directly contribute to cultural oppression because it requires fame and notoriety. Cultural oppression is directly impacted by celebrities, media corporations, religion, and the stereotypes we absorb growing up. While cultural oppression has little power in creating laws, it holds immense weight in influencing how we think and feel.
Common Examples of Cultural Oppression
- Gender roles that expect women to take family-centric roles and wear makeup
- Stereotypes that argue white neighborhoods are inherently safer than Black neighborhoods
- Movies that contain problematic themes, like blackface or vilifying transgender people
Cultural Oppression Example
The latest AAA video game makes record sales but contains anti-LGBTQIA+ themes where transgender people are shamed during a major quest line.
Both the video game itself and those who wrote and created the game are at fault for cultural oppression in this example. Its developers refused to alter the game’s transphobic themes – and each player who encounters the game will learn anti-LGBTQIA+ stereotypes from it, especially if they lack media literacy or critical thinking.
How Are Oppressions Connected?
Individual, institutional, and cultural oppression are interconnected. Understanding how oppression feeds itself is key to breaking a cycle that benefits from cruelty.
Religion uses cultural oppression to teach individuals that LGBTQIA+ identities should be demonized. Those individual people spread stereotypes that lead politicians to create cruel laws. Institutionalized cruelty affirms people’s false belief that LGBTQIA+ people deserve suffering, discouraging them from taking action.
Society teaches us that whiteness is superior to Blackness, leading an online artist to whitewash a popular character. As individual people share and like that content, it reinforces our racist biases and further pushes stereotypes society has about Blackness.
“Every time a finger gets pointed at a person – whether they’re a Fortune 500 CEO or a high school student – we’re focusing on an -ist… Every campaign to “cancel” an -ist – whether successful or not – isn’t the same as addressing the system. It brings our attention away from the system and toward an individual within it.”
– “-isms, not -ists,” by It’s Pronounced Metrosexual/Sam Killermann
What Is Intersectionality?
Intersectionality is the belief that all oppressions are connected AND individual people can have drastically different life experiences based on how their personal identities intersect. People mistakenly talk about oppressions like they occur in vacuums, like racism is completely separate from sexism and homophobia.
The word “intersectionality” comes from the idea of a traffic intersection as a metaphor for oppression, as coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw.
Our identities and relationships shape our lives, creating unique experiences of the world. Out of the 108 billion humans that have ever existed, there has likely never been a person who experienced the exact combination of oppression and privilege as you.
Crenshaw uses the experiences of Black women in America to explain intersectionality: Emma DeGraffenreid was a real Black woman who was denied employment because she was a Black woman, but without intersectionality, she had no way to defend that claim.
DeGraffenreid attempted to work at General Motors, which did hire both Black and white workers. So DeGraffenreid wasn’t able to claim the discrimination was fueled only by racism. And General Motors hired women, so she couldn’t argue that their decision was out of sexism.
In reality, General Motors was using racism and sexism simultaneously. The only Black workers hired by General Motors were men used for industrial and maintenance jobs; the only women hired were white and worked secretarial and front-office jobs.
It’s only when both of those facts are combined that you understand the lens of intersectionality. This combination of DeGraffenreid’s identities created a nuanced and unique oppression.
Intersectionality Exercise
Visualize three men who have similar but distinct life experiences:
- James is a gay man. He works in middle management and is financially well-off.
- Devon is straight, but gets paid very little as a janitor.
- Julio is also a gay man, but he works for minimum wage in construction.
Under intersectionality, we can see how James, Devon, and Julio experience classism and heterosexism differently.
- Devon is poor, but he isn’t targeted for his sexual orientation. Devon never has to worry whether the Supreme Court will annul his marriage to Grace, but he does worry that new ACA restrictions will affect his healthcare coverage.
- James is gay, but he has plenty of money and resources. James worries about anti-LGBTQIA+ laws, but knows he can move with his boyfriend to Canada in an emergency. While James is angry that his former boss told his colleagues about his HIV status, he had enough funds to take his boss to court.
- Julio is gay AND lower-class, sitting at the intersection. He worries that coming out at work will get him fired and struggles to get hired for decent jobs. A local community center told Julio that he could sue after his last termination, but he couldn’t pay for a lawyer.
All oppressions are connected under intersectionality. Fascism doesn’t happen in a vacuum; there’s a reason racists like hanging out with sexists and homophobes. Oppression exists to benefit power, whether it’s creating profit or maintaining the status quo. Systems that spread sexism use the same formula to spread transphobia.
Allyship and activism require us to be committed to combating ALL oppressions – not just the ones that directly impact you. It’s impossible to fully get rid of sexism if you align yourself with transphobia, especially since so much of the ideology underneath transphobia is inherently sexist. You won’t be able to eliminate racism from society without also coming to terms with queer rights and income inequality.
At the end of the day, remember: Nazis want to get rid of everyone; it’s just a matter of when.
Curated Allyship Resources and Support Networks
General Allyship Resources
Creative Equity Toolkit @ creativeequitytoolkit.org / Dozens of toolkits and self-guided lesson plans to teach yourself about allyship, equity, diversity, and inclusion – all provided for free through Diversity Arts Australia and The British Council.
Glisten @ glisten.org / LGBTQIA+ organization that centers on the rights of queer youth and GSAs (Gay-Straight or Gender-Sexuality Alliances) – one of their regular national events is Ally/Solidarity Week, which includes a ton of information aimed to teach others about social justice.
Guide to Allyship @ guidetoallyship.com / A fantastic open-source starter that introduces you to many of the fundamentals of allyship, similar to this guide at the Trans Solidarity Project.
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) @ hrc.org / One of the largest LGBTQIA+ organizations in the world, dating back to 1980. They constantly produce resources and info guides, which cover topics like general allyship to trans issues.
It’s Pronounced Metrosexual @ itspronouncedmetrosexual.com / Free online resource hub meant to make all things social justice, gender, and sexuality-related easy to understand.
Learning For Justice @ learningforjustice.org / Education space that works through the Southern Poverty Law Center to teach people through their online resources and pivot them towards building an inclusive, multiracial democracy for all of our futures.
Movement Advancement Project @ mapresearch.org / Nonprofit think tank that regularly creates infographics and resources on LGBTQIA+ rights and other social justice issues.
Out & Equal @ outandequal.org / LGBTQIA+ organization that largely interacts with high-level businesses and corporations – that also creates toolkits, resources, and guides (most of which are free).
PFLAG @ pflag.org / One of the United States’ biggest ally organizations, which provides support, educational material, and advocacy for both LGBTQIA+ people and those who love them.
Social Justice Books @ socialjusticebooks.org / Literature resource that gives great recommendations for social justice and allyship-themed books.
Straight for Equality @ straightforequality.org / A program operated by PFLAG that serves as a national outreach and education hub for anyone interested in learning more about LGBTQIA+ allyship.
The Safe Zone Project @ thesafezoneproject.com / Another free online resource that includes introductory curricula, activities, and other resources for all. Co-written by the same author as It’s Pronounced Metrosexual.
The Trevor Project @ thetrevorproject.org / A crisis and suicide prevention organization for LGBTQIA+ youth that also creates free guides and resources on allyship.
Bisexual+ Allyship Resources
American Institute of Bisexuality @ bisexuality.org / Operates a wealth of programs meant to educate both the general public as well as civic and professional organizations on bisexuality.
Bi Foundation @ bi.org / Private foundation through the American Institute of Bisexuality that promotes understanding of bisexual+ topics, offering a large selection of articles and resources to choose from.
Bi History @ bihistory.wordpress.com / Just like the rest of the LGBTQIA+ community, bisexuality dates back as far back as humanity – and Bi History is a great place to start learning about queer history.
Bi Resource Center @ biresource.org / Organization that seeks to connect the bisexual+ community around the globe, and also provides plenty of resources in their info section.
Bisexual Organizing Project @ bisexualorganizingproject.org / Resources offered by BOP, a group committed to building organizing skills among the bi+ community.
Bi Survivors Network @ bisurvivorsnetwork.org / Regular chats and support provided by bi+ survivors for bi+ survivors.
History of Pansexuality @ historyofpansexuality.carrd.co / Facts and information to learn if you’re interested in the long history behind pansexuality.
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) @ hrc.org / HRC also provides resources and information specific to the bi+ community via their website.
Queer Majority @ queermajority.com / Worldwide magazine that produces information, guidance, and critique on queerness.
Still Bisexual @ stillbi.org / Advocacy organization that uses education and storytelling to foster public acceptance of bisexual+ identities.
The Trevor Project @ thetrevorproject.org / In addition to general allyship guides, The Trevor Project also has information centered on bisexuality – which explains the details of queerness, bisexuality, pansexuality, and similar identities along the spectrum.
Unicorn @ unicornzine.com / LGBTQIA+ magazine that focuses on bisexual+ stories and information.
Transgender Allyship Resources
Advocates for Trans Equality @ transequality.org / Legal rights organization formerly known as the National Center for Transgender Equality and Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund. Provides a variety of legal-based resources and information about trans identities.
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) @ hrc.org / Additional resources and guidance by HRC about transgender allyship.
It’s Pronounced Metrosexual @ itspronouncedmetrosexual.com / Free online resource hub, most of which covers gender-related allyship.
Neopronouns @ neopronounss.carrd.co / General starting point for both common pronouns and less common neopronouns.
PFLAG @ pflag.org / Educational materials, resources, and support on transgender and nonbinary issues through one of the largest allyship organizations in the United States.
Pronouns @ pronouns.org / Practical resource on the basics of pronouns and how they’re used.
Terrence Higgins Trust @ tht.org.uk / Health organization based in the United Kingdom that offers free sources and education on trans-related issues.
The Proud Trust @ theproudtrust.org / LGBTQIA+ youth charity with free information for both adults and young people.
The Trevor Project @ thetrevorproject.org / Resource hub on transgender identities, pronouns, and everything else related to supporting trans people.
Trans Lifeline @ translifeline.org / Crisis hotline for transgender individuals that also provides trans-specific resources.
Trans Student Educational Resources @ transstudent.org / Allyship and resource website with information on gender, pronouns, and basic trans allyship.
Trans What? @ transwhat.org / Starter guide that explains the basics of trans identity to those completely new to the field.
Intersex Allyship Resources
4Intersex @ 4intersex.org / Learn the basics of intersex allyship and human rights through #4Intersex, a project of interACT Advocates.
A Gender Agenda @ genderrights.org.au / Australian organization that provides free resources online in addition to supporting intersex, transgender, and nonbinary individuals in Australia.
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) @ hrc.org / Curated information and intersex resources by HRC, one of the largest LGBTQIA+ organizations in the world.
interACT @ interactadvocates.org / Social justice group that empowers intersex youth through advocacy, public engagement, and community connection – interACT also offers a large selection of intersex resources and guides.
Intersex Campaign for Equality @ intersexequality.com / Originally known as the United States branch of Organisation Intersex International, IC4E has grown to lead the fight for intersex human rights and creates educational materials for those interested in supporting intersex identities.
Intersex Day Project @ intersexday.org / While the Intersex Day Project largely focuses on International Intersex Awareness Day and Intersex Day of Solidarity, IDP offers additional advice and references on intersex issues.
Intersex Human Rights Australia @ ihra.org.au / National body in Australia that represents the needs of the intersex community, providing resources on allyship and bodily integrity.
Intersex Initiative @ intersexinitiative.org / US-based organization that hosts a wide selection of basic intersex resources.
Intersex Justice Project @ intersexjusticeproject.org / POC-led group that organizes resources for intersex-related protesting and justice.
The Intersex Roadshow @ intersexroadshow.blogspot.com / Personal blog that details the real-life experiences of intersex writer Dr. Cary Gabriel Costello, offering advice and guidance on intersex allyship.
Asexuality Allyship Resources
Aromantic-Spectrum Union for Recognition, Education, and Advocacy @ aromanticism.org / Community and advocacy organization with a collection of resources about aromanticism.
Asexuality Archive @ asexualityarchive.com / A collection of information and articles related to asexuality.
Asexuality Visibility and Education Network @ asexuality.org / The world’s largest asexual community, which maintains a massive resource library on the asexuality spectrum.
Demisexual Resource Center @ demisexuality.org / Informative website that covers demisexual questions and advice.
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) @ hrc.org / HRC’s introductory to asexual allyship, as well as graysexuality and demisexuality.
The Ace and Aro Advocacy Project @ taaap.org / Asexual and aromantic resource-based organization that provides asexuality individuals with support in every aspect of life.
The Asexuality Handbook @ asexuality-handbook.com / Free guide that explains the basics of asexuality for beginners, meant to be understandable, deep, and well-referenced.
Queer People of Color Allyship Resources
African American Chronicles @ blackhistory.psu.edu / Collection of Black history and stories meant to fill the gaps in traditional education and allyship.
Anti-Oppression Network @ theantioppressionnetwork.com / Online collection of resources to support grassroots allyship and activism for Indigenous Americans.
Black Queer & Intersectional Collective @ bqic.net / Grassroots community organization that facilitates resources and zines for QTPOC allyship.
Healthy Native Youth @ healthynativeyouth.org / Native-centered health and resources materials offered for free through their toolbox.
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) @ hrc.org / Directory on several resource hubs through HRC about best practices on supporting communities of color.
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance @ nqapia.org / LGBTQIA+ AAPI organization that works to develop resources to support and represent queer Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Native Appropriations @ nativeappropriations.com / Virtual forum that discusses Indigenous representations, stereotypes, cultural appropriations, news, and activism.
Reclaiming Native Truth @ rnt.firstnations.org / National project to foster cultural, social, and policy change that empowers Native Americans.
The Guide to Allyship @ guidetoallyship.com / A fantastic open-source starter that introduces you to many of the fundamentals of allyship, similar to this guide at the Trans Solidarity Project. Most of the topics listed within the guide are geared with Black allyship in mind.
This is Indian Country @ thisisindiancountry.com / Movement organized by the American Indian College Fund to raise awareness about Indigenous lives and history.
White Supremacy Culture @ whitesupremacyculture.info / Online and most current version of the original “White Supremacy Culture” from 1999, alongside resources and additional learning tools to continue your allyship.