Everyday Allies Training

A 2022 Gallup poll found that 7.2% of the US population identify as LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender). Significant physical and mental health disparities exist in these populations including increased incidence of depression, suicidal ideation, and illicit drug use. However, studies have shown that LGBTQ+ individuals with supportive communities have better mental and physical health outcomes. Come to an Everyday Allies Training to learn how to be that support!

Everyday Allies Trainings are for those in the community who do not work in Healthcare or Education but still wish to learn more about how to be an ally to their LGBTQ+ friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and community members. Everyday Allies Trainings happen for the public twice a year and take place over three sessions. In the past, this training has been developed for specific businesses, clubs, and groups (*at our educators’ discretion)!

This interactive course will clarify common vocabulary used by many LGBTQ+ community members, discuss how to appropriately use pronouns, and how to correct yourself when you make a mistake. We'll brainstorm how to support LGBTQ+ individuals, and what things to avoid doing. We’ll also look at the role bias can play in our interactions with our LGBTQ+ neighbors.

The Everyday Allies Training Series happens over three sessions, consuming around six hours of time:

    • Disparities and Triumphs of LGBTQ+ community members

    • The Basics: The difference between sex assigned at birth, sexual orientation, and gender

    • Common vocabulary relevant to LGBTQ+ communities

    • Understanding and practicing correct pronoun usage, what to do when you use the wrong pronouns, and how to correct others when they use the wrong pronouns

    • Practice scenarios

    • Question and answer

    • Understanding microaggressions

    • Intention versus Impact

    • De-escalation and Intervention to stop hurtful words/actions

    • Practice Scenarios

    • Question and Answer

    • Understanding, recognizing and overcoming personal bias

    • Heterosexism and cisgenderism: both at the individual and institutional level

    • Intersectionality – the interconnectedness of an individual’s identities that may lead to additional discrimination or disadvantage

    • Practice Scenarios

    • Question and Answer

For any questions or to schedule an Everyday Allies Training tailored to your business’s needs, please contact Shawn Reagor, LGBTQ+ Allies Coordinator, at sreagor@bridgercare.org. To see our full calendar of upcoming trainings, please click below!