As an introduction, I would explain a few things about language: (1) Language is fluid. At the time, I defined “ally” as someone who supports a community of which they are not personally a member.ĭuring those learning sessions, I talked a lot about terminology and worked to demystify the specific words people wanted to understand. I was labeled female at birth, and I am a woman the alignment of these two facts categorize me as “cisgender.” (Conversely, those whose sex marked at birth does not match their genders are broadly categorized as “transgender.”) I would also call myself a trans ally - someone who supports trans people. Within this context, I would share that I’m cisgender.
Ten years ago, I started facilitating introductory LGBTQ learning sessions.
