Many of us in the LGBTQIA+ community, along with our allies, know that now is not the time for inaction.
Yet headlines and social media can quickly overwhelm us, tipping us back into despair, making us question if our advocacy is doomed to fail. Under an administration that has openly encouraged the rollback of protections for LGBTQIA+ people, this is an understandable fear.
Yet, with the right mindset, this can be a meaningful opportunity for allies to demonstrate what it means to choose love over ignorance and fear.
If you’re feeling disillusioned, please know that there are actions that can be taken that do make a difference, especially locally.
When it comes to the everyday lives of LGBTQIA+ people, local policy is often the frontline protection when federal pressure is mounting. This makes your participation not just essential, but truly lifesaving.
Action is often the antidote to despair and where we rediscover our hope for the future. In this article, we’ll share actions that allies can take to support our local LGBTQIA+ community in 2026 and beyond.
1. Build bridges with family, friends, and neighbors.
It can be tempting to distance yourself from others who express anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiments.
However, research shows that changing one’s mind on a firmly held belief does take time, and it’s often a meaningful and sincere connection — not just facts, statistics, or rigorous debate — that helps that internal shift take place within others.
Staying in the room as an ally is also one of the strongest protective factors for LGBTQIA+ people.
This ensures that allies are present where LGBTQIA+ people (especially youth and closeted adults) may feel most unsafe — like churches, family gatherings, and schools — while also lessening the burden of educating and advocating which too often falls on those most impacted by these conversations.
Tip: Optimism and celebration can be strategic.
Role model what this community has taught you! Embodying the compassion, hope, and fighting spirit of Pride is a form of taking back the cultural narrative.
As Black activist Toni Cade Bambara once said, “My job is to make revolution irresistible. One of the ways I attempt to do that is by celebrating those victories within the [B]lack community.”
2. Show up for local demonstrations and hearings.
Many allies feel intimidated by the idea of engaging with local politics. This is understandable! You might struggle to imagine speaking out if you couldn’t even tell your waiter that they got your order wrong, or this process may feel so unfamiliar that you worry you aren’t equipped or able.
But the truth is, everyday people exactly like you do make an impact. Not because they knew everything or had a knack for public speaking, but because they cared enough to show up and were willing to learn.
It’s okay to be a beginner at this! In fact, local organizations like ours are an excellent place to start, because we have direct experience working with allies who know they want to make a difference, but need a little direction.
Some ways you could get involved include:
- Speak to lawmakers about a proposed bill or policy
- Show up to a hearing to support other community members
- Offer to drive others to a hearing or demonstration
- Raise awareness via social media about a proposed policy or bill
- Share your personal story with others about how you’re getting involved
- Volunteer to phonebank or go door-to-door to raise awareness with a local org
Stay informed with OutNebraska.
We’ll keep you in the loop about bills affecting LGBTQIA+ people in Nebraska, as well as opportunities for direct action and community building. SIGN UP!
Tip: Verify, verify, verify.
Well-intentioned individuals (and even bad actors!) may share information online that isn’t reputable or true, especially when it comes to direct action, like protests and hearings.
Sometimes this may even be AI-generated content or videos that are edited to remove crucial context. This can cause undue panic or distress amongst community members and undermine trust in you as a source, depending on the topic.
Be sure to follow local leaders, non-profits, and organizations that are well-established and accountable to the community for what they post, as well as verifying what you can before sharing it.
3. Financially support LGBTQIA+ businesses, organizations, and events.
Economic empowerment matters, especially in communities that are historically marginalized. For business owners, non-profits, advocates, and artists, it can be risky to be “out” in the community, especially during times of increased scrutiny and political backlash.
It’s important to remember that greater visibility of LGBTQIA+ people does not mean increased safety. In fact, visibility without fundamental protections — like non-discrimination ordinances and hate crime legislation — can result in even less safety and viable routes to accountability.
Investing in LGBTQIA+ organizations, businesses, and events helps ensure that our community does not become more vulnerable through economic hardship, diminishing our organizing capacity.
This also provides a crucial buffer by sustaining queer-affirming spaces (like community orgs, clinics, bars, organizing spaces, and events), which are often at risk of closure due to economic instability and withdrawals of federal and state funding.
Tip: Set aside a monthly budget (even if it feels small!).
Many people believe that donating or contributing financially is reserved for folks with substantial wealth. But this isn’t true! Bringing a few dollars to a drag night is still investing in the community. Having a $5 monthly donation to your local LGBTQIA+ non-profit is still meaningful.
Many fundraisers will tell you that the donations that mean the most to them are the smallest, because they often come from individuals who don’t have much of their own. And when people come together to each do what little they can, the collective impact is greater than you might think.
4. Use social media strategically, not just passively.
When collective tension builds, it can be tempting to repost every headline and relevant post that you see, urging others to act. In reality, though, while urgency can briefly boost attention, it often doesn’t result in long-term and meaningful political engagement.
In fact, studies have shown that reposting content that uses “us versus them” language contributes to polarization that deepens existing biases rather than challenging them.
These same studies offer us hope, though. They show that framing political conversations from a place of shared values — how an issue connects to what they hold dear, like family, patriotism, health, bravery, or faith — results in more meaningful shifts.
This is where allyship can be most powerful. While it may be unfair to expect those of a marginalized group to not express grief, outrage, or fear, allies can act as anchors in moments of collective tension.
Social media can be a place to experiment with how you reach those who hold a different set of beliefs than you. Consider looking for where values may overlap, or at least finding where a shared or similar understanding might exist.
Tip: Your personal experience can be powerful.
It can feel humbling or even shameful to recall how far we’ve come as allies. But it’s stories of changing our minds that often act as a bridge to those who may be reconsidering what they believe.
When sharing on social media, consider using your own journey as a blueprint for others where relevant.
For example, “I used to think X, until I learned Y.” “I feel X, because I witnessed Y.” There is no shame in changing your mind, and others may feel safer to do so if they’ve seen someone else walk the path first.
5. Keep tabs on your local reps — and register to vote if you haven’t already.
It’s all too easy to collapse into despair when looking at federal- and state-level politics. The “two steps forward, one step back” pattern of politics on that scale can be discouraging.
However, being engaged with local politics can feel a lot more empowering. It allows you to see how your vote and your engagement directly impacts your community, and interfacing with the political process can help you sharpen your skills as an advocate.
Start with registering to vote if you haven’t already! Nebraskans, you can register online up to 18 days before an election. The next primary election is May 12th, 2026, and the general election is November 3rd, 2026.
Organizations like Vote 411 can also provide a personalized voting plan so you can research your ballot ahead of time.
Many people don’t know that voting by mail is an option, which can alleviate the anxiety of traveling to a polling place and voting in-person. Vote however you feel comfortable — your access is far more important than the method by which you participate!
Tip: Politics can be a relationship builder!
Many people may still consider politics to be inflammatory or overwhelming. But civic engagement can be a joyful and connective experience, too!
You might consider hosting a monthly get-together, with each person briefing the group on a specific representative or issue, make phone calls together on an upcoming bill or proposal, or simply process how you’re becoming more engaged, swapping tips and insights.
Remember: Small actions compound over time — so keep showing up!
Many advocates will tell you that consistency over time is one of the most important contributions you can make to a cause that you care about!
We learn more as allies, and accomplish more together, when we practice sustained action, rather than brief flickers in moments of crisis and fear.
If this is your entry point into civic engagement, we hope that this article is just the beginning of an ongoing journey that will not only make an impact on your community, but renews your personal sense of hope and optimism.
“History isn’t something you look back at and say it was inevitable. It happens because people make decisions that are sometimes very impulsive and of the moment, but those moments are cumulative realities.” — Marsha P Johnson
