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Everyone knows that sometimes you just need a friend by your side, someone who’ll stand up for you and be there for you when you need support. This is true of everyone, regardless of gender or sexuality, which is where LGBT allies come into play. Though defining in exact terms what an LGBT ally is can be difficult, the main quality is friendship.

“There’s always sort of a little iffiness even among professionals about what exactly it means to be an ally,” said Lyndon Stewart, Illinois graduate and interim assistant director at the UIUC LGBT Resource Center. This is because many people who are already involved with the LGBT community through friends and family but don’t identify as LGBT personally consider themselves to be allies. At the same time, other people who don’t have much experience with the LGBT community will go through ally workshops before they consider themselves an ally. These workshops are designed to give people insight and education on the experience of an LGBT person, and though they aren’t absolutely necessary to consider yourself an ally, they are helpful no matter what your level of LGBT knowledge.

“It can never hurt to learn a little more,” said Stewart.

The LGBT Resource Center, located on the third floor of the Illini Union, is the best place to go if you want to learn more about becoming an LGBT ally. Other local LGBT resources, such as the Greater Community AIDS Project and the Champaign Urbana Public Health District, are more focused on sexual health and preventing the spread of STDs, Stewart said.

“That’s why our office usually provides services for the community, faculty and students ... We’re always sort of open to provide things for whomever,” he said.

If you aren’t already involved in the LGBT community and want to learn more about becoming an ally, the University’s Ally Network handbook outlines a few key steps to take, the main components being awareness, knowledge, environment and action. Becoming aware of and realizing your similarities to and differences from LGBT people is the first step listed in the handbook to becoming a good ally. This awareness can be gained through conversation, literature, workshops and self-examination — basically any activity that requires you to look around and just think about the LGBT community. The next step is gaining knowledge about the issues by learning the facts about LGBT policy, culture and laws. Once you’ve gained a working knowledge of the subject, the Ally Network encourages you to become part of a supportive and open environment. This can be done by joining one of the campus LGBT groups, such as the Ally Network for faculty and staff or PRIDE, a campus LGBT and ally community. Lastly, to be an LGBT ally, you’re encouraged by the handbook to take action: “Action is the only way to change society as a whole. Stand up for and fight for human rights.”

“It’s making a decision to open yourself up to the same kinds of discrimination,” Stewart said. “You sort of have to come out as an ally.”

Currently on the University campus, there are few entities besides the LGBT Resource Center that provide ally training. Sexual Orientation Diversity Allies (SODA) provides faculty and staff with training, and Resident Advisers and other dorm staff can go through in-housing ally training. To find an R.A. or faculty member who is an ally, look for a pink triangle symbol, which represents an LGBT safe space, on their door or in their office.

“We actually do get a lot of interest in [ally training workshops], which is why we’re working so hard to provide more ally trainings,” said Stewart. “A lot of the regular ones that are out now are sort of niched,” which makes them feel more exclusive to certain groups.

The LGBT Resource Center tries to sponsor a training session once a semester, though student groups such as Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) and fraternities or sororities can request to have an ally workshop. There is a demand on campus and in CU for these workshops as well as for the information they provide. Stewart said, though, there aren’t enough resources to meet the supply.

“It’s really important from the LGBT community perspective to have allies,” Stewart said. “It’s integral to how we interact with the world.”