Well, I hate to admit it because I railed against it for so long, but today I have to admit that I enjoy the tik tok. I know you may not like that particular social media platform, and I will be the first to say that there are some absolute garbage/very offensive (at least to me) posts, but there are also so many lovely folks just sharing their lives and perspectives. I have learned some new tricks related to art and gardening and cooking and exercise, but I think what I appreciate the most about this platform is that I have found a whole community of LGBTQIA+ folks who are willing to share both the delightful and the challenging aspects of their lives. Stating the obvious here, but it is drastically different to listen to someone describe issues or events rather than reading about them. Don't get me wrong, reading is essential, and I believe that this Tik Tok can steal our attention and lead to all sorts of damage if we are not careful. I think balance is key here. If we throw out the platform because of its negative effects, we miss all the good as well.

Ok, enough of that rant. My point here was to share just a very few of the great channels that I have found on the Tik Tok and how they have helped in my journey of Allyship. (allyness? allyiss? lol)

@disorganized.religion "brought to you by ADHD and Jesus" is a great progressive United Church of Christ preacher who shares an inclusive perspective of the bible and Christianity.

@justflintisfine is a trans teacher who teaches English and film and shares their perspective on teaching and politics and everything in between. I really appreciate their honesty and willingness to be vulnerable in order to help, educate, and push boundaries.

@adesso.laurenzo does lgbtq+ and advocacy skits- really funny and very informative

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't share our studio tik tok- @becauseimproudstudio. If you take a look you will see some really clever videos- none of which I created lol. Hannah is our resident creative genius when it comes to the tik tok.

Finally again, all of these are just suggestions and my opinions, not endorsements. I truly think that this platform is not for everyone. Take what you like and leave the rest.