Profs & Pints DC: Becoming a Better Ally

Profs and Pints DC presents: “Becoming a Better Ally,” on research-backed ways to effectively advocate for marginalized populations, with Hannah Snidman, assistant professor of psychology at Marymount University and director of a Marymount lab focused on allyship, social justice, activism, gender, and equity.

[Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-better-ally .]

Marginalized groups are under extreme pressure in today’s political climate, yet some who seek to come to their defense may unintentionally be causing further harm.

Learn how you can become a better ally to those who face oppression due to gender, race, ethnicity, or other factors with Hannah Snidman, a psychologist whose research focuses on allyship and the experiences of gender minority members.

Professor Snidman will give her audience a basic understanding of Minority Stress Theory, which explains how unique stressors experienced by members of marginalized groups often lead to disparities in areas such as mental and physical health, substance use, and healthcare utilization.

She’ll discuss research on how effective allyship can reduce prejudice toward marginalized people and serve as a buffer against the stresses it causes. Focusing especially on the transgender population, she’ll describe research showing how would-be allies can unintentionally cause harm by, for example, invalidating perspectives or failing to follow through on promises.

The talk will look at future directions in allyship research, including on best practices for helping immigrant communities. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.)

Image by Canva.