Allyship: Standing with Chicago’s Bisexual + Community

Abstract

The goals of this article are to describe the role of allies in efforts to support the health of bisexual + communities and provide a case example of allyship. We begin with a brief review of the literature on the role of allies and allyship, which highlights definitions, best practices, and critical context and considerations important for all to understand, such as privilege and power. Following, we describe the development of the first task force of its kind in the country – the Chicago Bisexual Health Task Force – and our roles in the task force as allies. Key milestones from the first year and a half of the task force’s life are shared as examples for other jurisdictions to consider replicating to better support the health and wellness of their bisexual + communities. As demonstrated, allyship can contribute to creating meaningful, lasting, and sustainable partnerships to achieve community goals for the bisexual + community.

Keywords:

• Ally
• allyship
• partnership
• engagement

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jim Pickett

Jim Pickett is the Senior Director of Prevention Advocacy and Gay Men’s Health at the AIDS Foundation Chicago where he has worked since late 2004. His portfolio focuses on research and implementation advocacy in support of new HIV prevention technologies and all the foundation’s PrEP initiatives, including creating and delivering workshops, trainings, conferences, directing the statewide Illinois PrEP Working Group, and leading the globally acclaimed PrEP4Love social marketing and community mobilization campaign. POZ magazine has referred to Pickett as “a soldier, instrumental in fighting for much-needed new prevention methods, undeterred by subjects many would prefer to ignore.” He was inducted into Chicago’s LGBT Hall of Fame in 2005.

Cynthia Tucker

Cynthia Tucker, Dr. P.H., is the Vice President of Prevention and Community Partnerships at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. She has worked in HIV for over twenty years and has been an invaluable leader for the organization’s prevention initiatives, capacity building, and corrections case management program. Her leadership behind STI/HIV programs has changed thousands of lives and molded AFC’s reputation as an innovative leader in the HIV/AIDS movement. She is the Principal Investigator of the Employment and Housing evaluation study, Project SSRP. Cynthia has been a member of several community planning and advocacy groups: the Chicago-area HIV Integrated Services Council (CAHISC), the Ilinois HIV Prevention Planning Group, and the Black Treatment Advocates Network (BTAN).