Allyship

Being Straight But Queer

Abstract

She/Her/Hers

I wrote this piece because I was observing in my Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies courses that people who share the same positionality as me are nervous to speak aloud out of fear of saying the wrong thing or taking space away from others. In this piece, I discuss the concept of queer as not just being an identity but also a way of thinking. It is important for white, heterosexual, cisgender people, like me, to be self-aware in queer spaces. I navigate these feelings through the question of “do I belong in queer spaces?” To conclude, I call upon others to embark on the lifelong journey of being an authentic ally. This manifesto is a call to action and self-reflexivity.