Allyship is something to be rigorously and actively done. It is not passive, it is a deep responsibility. If you wish to be an ally to poc, you cannot simply say you respect us, or perform lip service of “racism bad”. You must truly platform our perspective. You must challenge all of your inner and outward racist inclinations, regardless of whether you believe yourself to be racist. You must analyze all of racism’s manifestations in all parts of society, and how it morphs in different contexts between different groups. You must study Black, Latino, Asian activism, and so on.
If you wish to be a trans ally, you cannot simply say “trans women are women” or dump your unwanted clothes onto us. You must study and understand transfeminism. You must materially assist the trans people around you. You must not throw a pity party for yourself if a trans person finds you unhelpful. You must engage in thorough political praxis.
Activism is a willed effort. A difficult, persistent effort. If you do not do these things, you are complacent, lazy, and wasting our time by calling yourself an “ally”. This is the collective responsibility of all human beings.