In this context, an ally is a person who seeks to dignify LGBTQ+ people, uplifting them with honor and respect to their culture, language, and spiritual journeys. A "Christian ally" is a person who does these things with Christ as their motivation for doing so. An ally does not see LGBTQ+ people as a group that needs their help, but rather as a respected group that, in light of the Great Commission, deserves their humble presence and witness as people who carry the Good News of Jesus even as they have a different lived experience.

In any type of cross-cultural work, trust must be earned, not simply stated. Historically, it is LGBTQ+ people who determine who is considered an "ally" to them. As allies, we maintain humility by saying that the journey toward being an ally starts now and lasts our whole lives. The goal is not for every LGBTQ+ person to call us an "ally," but to live our lives in the fashion of a Christian ally: someone who humbly and faithfully (rather than performatively) advocates for positive holistic outcomes for LGBTQ+ neighbors. We do in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who alone can sufficiently make all things new, as we proclaim and foreshadow His work of restoration and redemption.

We are a distinctively Christian mentoring group. We are not a theological discussion group. Aspiring allies may come from different views on marriage and sexuality. While our theology is an important matter, this is not a group where we seek to change one another's theology or sexual ethic – although we will challenge you, as part of your allyship, to carefully discern your theology before God where you may have never investigated it before. We believe there is much common ground to be had in uplifting LGBTQ+ neighbors, as well as connecting LGBTQ+ people with the Good News of Jesus. This includes empowering them in the fundamentals of spiritual maturity, even when we disagree on secondary matters. Our requirement for the group is not theological belief, but a posture of humility and respect toward fellow allies and toward LGBTQ+ people across many belief spectra.

We hope this journey is a transformational one. For that reason, we expect you to spend time in between sessions in prayer, planning, listening, learning, and action. In the first half of the course, you'll be reading and reflecting on where God has you, to whom God has sent you, and what God might be calling you to do next in your allyship. In the second half, you'll be carrying out some goals you have set. You can expect around 1-2 hours or more of work in between sessions – depending on what kind of outreach you design! We use a platform called Teach:able to manage online resources and support, as well as a WhatsApp group to communicate with facilitators and allies as questions arise.

We understand things come up in your schedule. If you need to miss a class, we ask that you let us know ahead of time so we can record the session. If you're absent, plan to provide a brief reflection on what God is showing you through our learning and your prayer times. If anticipate that you will need to miss more than two sessions, we encourage you to sit this semester out and come back next semester – and invite other local followers of Jesus to join you!

Are you outside of NYC and want to bring this program to your church or community? Join the next NYC cohort as a Facilitator Trainee and learn how to facilitate a group in your neighborhood.

All Facilitators who successfully complete the Aspiring Allies Facilitator Trainee program receive access to our curriculum and guidance which prepares them to facilitate Aspiring Allies in their context the future. Please note the Facilitator Training is not intended for local NYC residents.

Kaleidoscope believes in the power and necessity of local communities. For that reason, we limit our own staff to (a) training local NYC/NJ allies – or (b) equipping those outside NYC to become Aspiring Allies Facilitators themselves. The Facilitators you see leading in cities listed above are those who have completed our Facilitator Trainee program. Those they train will be participants.

If you want to bring Aspiring Allies to your city, you can apply to become a Facilitator Trainee and to participate in our NYC training remotely. Upon successful completion of the Facilitator Trainee, you will be able to train others in your city, multiplying local support for LGBTQ+ neighbors in your area.

Joining is a participant is completely free. Training registration is donation-based in order to help sustain the growth, content quality, and oversight of Aspiring Allies groups.

To express interest and learn more about becoming a Facilitator Trainee, please contact our Aspiring Allies Facilitator Trainer (and Kaleidoscope's co-founder & president), Elizabeth Delgado Black at elizabeth@kaleidoscopeusa.org.