In light of the awful events that took place at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, all walks of life have come out to show concern and compassion for the LGBTQA community (except for Donald Trump, of course). For those who are inspired to take a step to support the community, here are a few tips.
1. Educate yourself
If you want to support this community, you have to understand what they’ve been through. In recent years real action has been taken to give them the rights they truly deserve, but what have they dealt with in the past? We can deduce that they have been treated poorly for decades but there are many more specifics worth finding out about.
2. Spread the word and get involved
With how connected social media has made this generation, use it to share articles and our own thoughts. By educating others, you are helping to fight the only force hindering the prosperity of this community, ignorance. However, the articles and facts you share must have accurate and credible sources. To take your support to the next level, you could donate to causes, go to rallies, met ups and even fundraisers.
3. Understand it will never be about you
No matter how involved or knowledgeable you become, you will never truly be able to understand or empathize with the community. There is a difference between sharing knowledge/supporting and using your support for social leverage. If you want to share knowledge, do just that. Don’t somehow make other peoples pain, yours too.
