Ally Week took over Cabrini’s campus beginning Monday, Oct. 21, and ended that following Thursday, to promote equality between straight and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth.
This week-long call-to-action’s purpose is for the promotion of being an ally against anti-LGBT language, bullying and harassment.
This year’s festivities began on Monday, Oct. 21, 2013 with an information table located in founders lobby, and a Ally 101 Training session later that evening in Grace Hall, which all of the Cabrini community was invited to attend.
At the information desks, you could pick up pamphlets stating the organizations pledge, itinerary of the weeks festivities, information sheets on Ally Week and a page title “LGBT Glossary of Terms.”
“It was the wordlist-sheet that was the most interesting thing I received. It familiarized me with a lot of definitions I didn’t even knew existed,” Tommy Custer, a sophomore math major, said.
That Tuesday was the Trivia Challenges. This up-to-the-minute event took place all day by postings through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The third day of Ally Week offered another information desk, this time in Jazzman’s Café and an Ally 201 Training session again that following evening.
Thursday is where Ally Week became really creative. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., tables were set up in front of the diversity office where you could take selfies in support of Ally Week.
“Our selfies were the most popular thing. The turnout for everything, especially that, was really great,” Jessica Regina Johnson-Petty, communication major and student diversity associate, said.
Fronted by GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, Ally Week is not merely a cause endorsed by Cabrini. Other colleges, grammar and middle schools all take part in the youth-led effort.
While Ally Week is backed by GLSEN that does not prohibit Cabrini’s Diversity Office from having their own freedom to express the week in the way they want to. “They only sponsor the week. They give us promotional materials and curriculum for the Ally 101 training—it gives us a lot of freedom,” Regina Johnson-Petty said.
Ally Week is but one part of a larger effort in hopes of creating safe environments for students everywhere. According to the GLSEN website, it is never too soon to become an ally.
An ally is someone who does not identify as LGBT, but regardless still supports the community through having a zero tolerance for bullying and harassment of LGBT youth.
While the Diversity Office feels the week had a great turnout, they recognize there is always room for improvement. “As far as the Ally-Training goes we definitely will be marketing that stronger for next year and we’re going to get more classes involved so they can be part of the cause,” Regina Johnson-Petty said.
In the end, the week was an overall success garnering over 15 new pledges as Cabrini allies and successfully spreading the word about gay-straight alliance through flyers. It is the pledge on the Ally Week pamphlet that seems to sum up the cause, “I believe schools should be safe supportive places for all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.”
