Summer capitol

Working to Pass a Fully Inclusive ENDA
Quick Links
Join Our List
Join Our Mailing List
August 18, 2009
9 weeks for equality
With ENDA now introduced in both the House and the Senate, it is more important than ever that we take action and educate Congress about the need to pass a transgender-inclusive ENDA. We hope that you will take action on at least three of our suggestions this summer ... and all of them if you can. We'll include how-to information for each one.
 
Let's make this a summer for transgender equality!

THIS WEEK
Be visible: Attend a town hall meeting or other in district gathering with your members of Congress
 
As you've undoubtedly seen in the news recently, members of Congress hold town hall meetings and other gatherings in their home districts. Because they are in their districts during the month of August, this is a particularly good time to attend. These are a great way to raise your visibility and express your opinions.
 
To find out what is happening in your state, go to your Senators' and Representative's websites and check their calendars or news pages for announcements. If you don't see any (each member of Congress has their own website, so content may vary from one to another), find the phone number for the regional office closest to you and give them a call to find out. United ENDA has also put out a list of Town Hall Meetings that can help you find one in your state.
 
When you attend a public gathering with members of Congress, here are some tips:
  1. Please be polite. While the shouting happening at Town Halls is getting a lot of press, it is rude and is not likely to be an effective strategy. It may very well sway opinion (both of the Congressional staff and the audience) against you.  Please be careful if other audience members are being overly aggressive and use your judgment about how to approach this.
  2. Be prepared to make a very brief, well-articulated statement about why it is important to pass ENDA or ask a clear, to-the-point question about your member of Congress' position on ENDA.  You are more likely to be heard if you make your point well in as short a time as possible, so it's helpful to organize your thoughts ahead of time.
  3. Listen carefully to the response you receive. Please make a note if your member of Congress says how she or he intends to vote on ENDA or about co-sponsorship. Please send us an e-mail at [email protected] and pass that information along. Having this information is very helpful as we visit them here in DC as we move closer to a vote on ENDA.
  4. If your member of Congress or a member of his or her staff would like additional information, please contact us and we will help you answer any questions and can provide you with fact sheets to pass along.  If you are asked for additional information, it's very important that you follow up with this.
  5. Focus on ENDA. Many people attending the Town Halls have opinions about health care reform and issues about SRS and transgender health care may arise in a negative way. It is important to remember that there are no specific medical conditions or treatments mentioned in the bill, including transgender specific health care. We'd recommend that you not take the bait of those trying to prevent health care reform or get embroiled in this fractious debate. At NCTE, we continue to take the position that transgender people not be singled out for negative mention in this legislation. What treatments should be covered should be decided between patients and their physicians.  The current bill under consideration is about how health care will be paid for, not who should receive what care.
  6. Enjoy! There is a fun social aspect of these occasions and a sense of participating in your community. We hope you enjoy the experience.
 
Need more information about ENDA? Read on ...
COMING UP
Here's the full list of action items for a summer of movement towards equality:
  1. Reach your members of Congress: Make an appointment TODAY to visit your Representative and Senators in August
  2. Spread the word: Sign the ENDA petition and get the word out to your friends by phone, email, twitter etc. to do the same; gather signatures at the local farmers' market, street fair, the student union etc. We'll send you more details next week.
  3. Educate the public: Write a letter-to-the-editor, write a blog or ask local paper to write an editorial in favor of ENDA
  4. Communicate the reasons: Write letters to your members of Congress or, better yet, host a letter-writing party and invite your friends, family, support group, etc.
  5. Gather support: Collect letters of support from local organizations, clubs, unions, churches, etc that you belong to and forward them to your members of Congress
  6. Be visible: Attend a town hall meeting or other in district gathering with your members of Congress
  7. Make the work possible: Host a fundraising party for your favorite organization working on ENDA, either in person or virtually, such as donating to a Facebook cause.
  8. Build relationships: Follow up on your contacts with members of Congress to build relationships
  9. Look ahead: Join us for a conference call about what we've accomplished and what the next steps are as together we move transgender equality forward.

About NCTE

The National Center for Transgender Equality is a national social justice organization devoted to ending discrimination and violence against transgender people through education and advocacy on national issues of importance to transgender people. By empowering transgender people and our allies to educate and influence policymakers and others, NCTE facilitates a strong and clear voice for transgender equality in our nation's capital and around the country. The National Center for Transgender Equality is a 501(c)3 organization.