How to Be a Better Ally in Open Source Communities

In her keynote address at the Linux Foundation's Open Source Summit Europe, Fatima Sarah Khalid emphasized that being an ally is more than just superficial gestures like wearing pronouns on badges or correctly pronouncing coworkers' names. True allyship involves taking meaningful actions to support and uplift individuals from underrepresented or marginalized backgrounds. This support is essential, not only in obvious ways but also in everyday interactions, which collectively create a more inclusive community.

Open source communities typically lack diversity, with only a small percentage of women, non-binary contributors, and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds. Khalid stressed the importance of improving diversity and inclusion through various means, including using inclusive language, facilitating asynchronous communication to accommodate global contributors, and welcoming non-technical contributions such as documentation.

Khalid also provided insights on making open source events more inclusive, like welcoming newcomers and marginalized groups, providing quiet spaces and enforcing a code of conduct, and partnering newcomers with mentors. Moreover, she highlighted GitLab's unique approach to allyship within the organization, including the Ally Lab, which pairs employees from different backgrounds to learn about and understand each other's experiences.

To encourage the audience to embrace allyship, Khalid shared a set of commitments to keep in mind, such as educating oneself about the experiences of marginalized groups, speaking up against inappropriate behavior, using one's voice to amplify marginalized voices, donating to support such groups, and advocating for equity and justice through social networks and connections. She also shared real-life examples of allyship, illustrating how meaningful actions can create positive change in communities.

Khalid's discussion with host Jennifer Riggins emphasizes the significance of meaningful, everyday actions to promote allyship in open source communities and organizations, ultimately contributing to a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable tech industry.

Learn more from The New Stack about Open Source, Allyship, and GitLab:

Embracing Open Source for Greater Business Impact

Leadership and Inclusion in the Open Source Community

How Implicit Bias Impacts Open Source Diversity and Inclusion

Investing in the Next Generation of Tech Talent