Faculty and Staff Ally Network

The Ally Network is a group of self-identified faculty, staff, teaching assistants, graduate assistants, and resident assistants, who work both to facilitate the development of all students around issues of sexual orientation and to improve the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered students at the University of Illinois. Allies can be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered (LGBT) or heterosexual. Members of the Ally Network support and actively realize these goals in a variety of ways:

• providing information
• raising awareness
• engaging in political and social advocacy
• and through personal example.

The Ally Network strives to examine and address the obstacles presented by homophobia and heterosexism to the LGBT communities and to the straight community alike. The Network is sponsored and administered jointly by the Sexual Orientation and Diversity Allies (SODA) Committee of the Counseling Center and the Student Affairs Office for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Resources.

To become part of the Ally Network, you must attend a three to four hour training conducted at least twice a year. At the training, we supply you with an Ally Manual, as well as a poster, which you can display to let students know of your Ally status. There are also Ally Network meetings from noon to 1:30 pm on the first Friday of every month from October through May. Any interested individuals are welcome at these meetings regardless of whether or not they have attended the formal training. These meetings provide a forum for additional training and discussion for those of us in the Network. Additionally, we maintain an e-mail listserv of all Allies to distribute information and to allow for further discussion. Meetings and future Ally Trainings will be advertised on the listserv, as well as in Inside Illinois.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Rene Monteagudo at 333-3704 or Curt McKay at 244-8863.

• Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resources
  Office of the Dean of Students
  Room 322A, Illini Union
  1401 West Green Street
  Urbana, IL 61801
  (217) 244-8863
• Sexual Orientation and Diversity Allies Committee
  Counseling Center
  110 Turner Student Services Building
  610 E. John Street
  Champaign, IL 61820
  (217) 333-3704