E059 Scott Williams on Straight Allies To 2SLGBTQ+ People

Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 59
Date: March 14, 2023

Participants: John Webster, Sammy Damaren, Cameron Earnshaw and Sheila Webster
Guest: Scott Williams

Start times and Segments:

[0:00:35] What’s On Your Mind: It’s nice to wear clothes that feel good, look good and last. It also helps with economic and environmental wellness. We spend less money on clothes over time and the industry uses up less resources. Sheila and Sammy love Aritzia and Lululemon.

[0:11:01] Expanding Minds Interview: [Social Wellness] We interview Scott Williams about how straight people can be allies to 2SLGBTQ+ rainbow community. Scott likes the axiom Diversity is a fact and inclusion is an act. Spectrum encourages people to think about allyship as a verb. It’s an action. If inclusion is action, then anti-racism must take that a step further. Sometimes they talk about is working not just to be an ally, but working to be an accomplice. If you’re an ally, then you’re allied to a cause which is really great, but an accomplice is out there in the trenches fighting alongside marginalized groups like black, indigenous or racialized people, or 2SLGTQ+ folk.

[0:27:54] Adventures of the Starving Artist: It’s easy to see music as a job and lose sight of the joy that music brings. Cameron took time to rekindle the joy.

[0:31:15] Move That Body: We enjoy listening to music or podcasts while working out.

[0:38:00] Running Popup: What comes first, feeling lucky or being lucky? Your outlook can change your experiences.

[0:41:15] Flipside of the Coin: John scratched his head when he saw a headline that said, “Study shows most young adults are tired of being adults”.

Quotes and Take-Aways:

Scott – An axiom I’ve come to love is Diversity is a fact and inclusion is an act. We encourage people to think about allyship as a verb. It’s an action. It’s work that’s done on an ongoing basis. If inclusion is action, then anti-racism must take that a step further. Sometimes we talk about this as working not just to be an ally, but working to be an accomplice. If you’re an ally, then you’re allied to a cause which is really great, but an accomplice is out there in the trenches fighting alongside marginalized groups like black, indigenous or racialized people, or 2SLGTQ+ folks.

Scott – Privilege is when people experience an actual or perceived advantage because of some trait that we have. It’s usually something arbitrary that no one has control over, but it leads them to having to work less hard to achieve the same outcomes as other disadvantaged groups. When we’re thinking about systemic racism or other systemic barriers, what equity seeking groups are asking the majority to do is just be aware of the privilege they might have and spend time reflecting on that to understand why others might be having a different experience.

Scott – I think the more progress we make the more backlash there is and we have to remain vigilant, because we have seen how easy it is to slide backwards and for rights to be taken away.

John – I have a better sense now that I can’t just sit back and hope for the best and wish things didn’t happen. Somehow I need to try and find ways to help break down the system of oppression instead of just saying “hey everyone you’re welcome and I don’t have any biases one way or the other”.

Scott – We’re all human. We all make mistakes. Often when we are called out on something the first reaction is to become defensive and say something like “I didn’t mean it like that” or “that wasn’t my intention at all”. Those kinds of reactions put the emphasis on the wrong person in the interaction. The attention is being refocused on how the person who has done something offensive is feeling, rather than on the harm that may have been done to the other person.

Scott – If we accidentally misgender someone or use a transgendered person’s dead name, then  making your apology into a big scene is both really embarrassing for the trans person who’s been misgendered, and it also puts them in the position of having to comfort the person who just made the mistake. It’s usually better to say fairly quickly “oh I’m sorry I meant she” and move on.

Scott – I agree that educating yourself is the first key step. There are other things people can do to be allies to 2SLGBTQ+ people. You can patronize businesses you know are owned by queer folks, and not patronize businesses that you know are not affirming to queer folks. You can ask rainbow people who they’re voting for in an election and why they are voting for that person. You can seek out the voices of queer people. If you spend time on social media then make an effort to follow queer folks an pay attention to the issues they’re talking about, then use your own platform to amplify their voices. If you’re in a meeting, think about who is not at the table. Is there a 2SLGBTQ+ person there, a black person or an indigenous person? If they’re not present, you can make an effort to hold space for them. Take a moment and ask, “if that person was here, what would they think about this issue?” Don’t then speak for a marginalized group, but be aware of who’s not present then maybe seek out feedback or opinions that would help to inform decision-making later.

Scott – If you call yourself an ally and then vote for a candidate or a party who will take away the rights of 2SLGBTQ+ people if they could, that’s not being allyship.

Bulletin Board Quote brought to you by the media: Most young adults are tired of being adults.

Guest Information: Scott Williams holds a BA in English Language & Literature from Wilfred Laurier University, and a diploma in Film Production from Vancouver Film School. He completed certificates in Diversity & Inclusion Fundamentals and Anti-Racism with the Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion. He is a graduate of the Engage!KW program from the KW Community Foundation. Prior to SPECTRUM, Scott served as the Communications & Development Coordinator at KW Counselling Services where he was part of the OK2BME Team. He volunteered as a member of the City of Kitchener Mayor's Task Force on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, the Children and Youth Planning Table Communications Advisory Committee, the Mental Wellness Network of Waterloo Region, and on the Breaking the Silence working group of the Rainbow Community Council. In his time at WLU, Scott served as Co-President of GLOBAL (Gay, Lesbian Or Bisexual At Laurier) and as a member of Laurier's Sexual Diversity Committee -- the antecedents of the Rainbow Centre. Scott was one of a small group that organized the first Pride Prom in Waterloo Region in 2003. He has previously volunteered with the Rainbow Reels Film Festival, and as a member of SPECTRUM's Board of Directors.

SPECTRUM (Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space): https://www.ourspectrum.com/
Instagram @SpectrumWaterlooRegion

Spectrum Waterloo Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEf0IGt_3nyZ6hOJSTW8unQ

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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-)   Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila, Elise, Isabelle and Julie

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E058 Linda Kenny Innovations at KidsAbility