We all make mistakes, but if you're trying to be an ally, the best thing you can do is own up to those mistakes, apologize, and do better. We aren't entitled to forgiveness, and it's not needed to keep the journey going.

Convincing men to be allies of women can oftentimes be frustrating. The talk of “privilege” itself can easily fall on deaf ears if the audience feels attacked. How do I demonstrate privilege while pushing for empathy at the same time?

For me, I let the experiences of those around me be my own.

From subtle things like office temperatures being controlled by management (predominantly male) and thus run cooler than what would be comfortable for women, to every-day social interactions like cooler-talk that could more or less be alienating, to bigger problematic statistics like women are more likely to be excluded from important events or decisions, what does it mean for someone who benefits from this privilege just by their gender?

In other words, what does it mean to be an ally?