The Ally Network is a group of self-identified faculty, staff, and students who work both to facilitate the development of all members of the campus community around issues of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. The network also strives to improve the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) students at the University of Illinois. Allies identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, cisgender, or heterosexual. Members of the Ally Network support and actively realize these goals in a variety of ways:
- Providing information and education
- Raising awareness
- Engaging in political and social advocacy
- Through personal example
The Ally Network strives to examine and address the obstacles presented by homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, heterosexism, and cisgenderism to the LGBTQIA communities and to the straight community alike. The network is sponsored and administered jointly by the Q & A Committee of the Counseling Center and the LGBT Resource Center.
To become part of the Ally Network, you must attend at least one of the ally trainings that are offered multiple times per year. The trainings include the Basic LGBT Ally Training, the Transgender Ally Training, and the Advanced Ally Training. As part of the training, we supply you with an Ally Manual (PDF copy), as well as a poster, which you can display to let others know of your allyship and training participation. Other Ally Network events/meetings, including Out @ Lunch, are announced through the listserv. Any interested individuals are welcome at these events/meetings regardless of whether or not they have attended the formal training. Additionally, we maintain an e-mail listserv of all Allies to distribute information. Meetings and future Ally Trainings will be advertised on the Ally Network listserv and on the LGBT Resource Center’s and Counseling Center’s websites.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Elise Lanker at 217-333-3704.
The Ally Training Manuals are shared material. If you intend to use it for your own training, we ask that you credit Q & A at the Counseling Center and the LGBT Resource Center at the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Relations. Thank you!