That sounds like an unreasonable expectation to put on someone, doesn’t it?

The thing is, though, the whole point of an ally is to change the world.

Allyship is the practice of taking intentional and positiveaction to advance the liberation of groups you do not personally belong to.

It’s not enough to call ourself an ally and then stand by while those communities are attacked, legislated against, or slandered. An ally without the purpose of changing the world is of no use to any community that still experiences marginalisation, oppression, or prejudice - things have to change, and that’s where allies come in.

Good news is, we don’t have to do it alone. There are millions of people working toward a more inclusive world, so we’ve got back-up.

An Active Bystander is someone who intervenes when they witness harassment (or discrimination, hate crime, and other forms of unacceptable behaviour). They perform a vital role, not just stopping harassment, but also preventing it by setting the standard and expectations for other people's social behaviour.

Active Bystander Intervention is a form of allyship, and it gets easier the more you practice. Until then, intervening in cases of harassment can seem scary. Here are 5 key techniques for Active Bystander Intervention to help you out - and some tips to make sure you're doing it safely.