Fair-Minded Allies
Other straight allies may not even know a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person but are motivated by the injustice and discrimination they face. Jackie Larner, a Human Rights Campaign member from Denver, explains her motivation:
"My coming out as a straight ally began in 1992 when voters in Colorado passed Amendment 2. I am a wife of 19 years and the mother of two children who were then very young, and I could not stand silent while the religious political extremists claimed that my ‘traditional family’ was being destroyed by laws to protect others from being kicked out of their homes, fired from their jobs or worse because of their sexual orientation. Listening sympathetically is not enough. We must respond, and speak out for justice and equality for all Americans." (HRC Quarterly, Fall 1997)
Some people find that coming out to others as the friend or family member of someone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender is intimidating – not unlike how some GLBT people feel when coming out. Other heterosexuals hesitate to come out due to the idea that if you are outspoken about GLBT issues or people, you must be one yourself. Swarthmore College student Mark Charette remembers what it was like for him:
"My high school, like most schools in America, had a guilt-by-association policy for kids seen taking part in anything resembling friendly discourse with a suspected ‘faggot.’ It's easy to shut up. Speaking out against bigotry is difficult, but silence allows the germ of homophobia to fester, taking residence in the minds of an entire community, making people who don't fit its narrow definition of "natural" sexuality feel unwelcome and worthless." (The Phoenix, 1998)