Contacting Legislators

Hi

Recently I sent a letter to some legislators challenging them to get to know me and to hear my story before they legislate against me.

I am placing a copy of it here and you are free to use all, some, or none of it. But I do encourage you to reach out to Senators, for both Federal and local Government.

Here are some for Tennessee.

Here is the link for Janice Bowling. Janice Sponsored House Bill 33 which seeks to redefine the titles Mother, Father, Husband Wife and will have the result of discriminating against LGBT, particularly Trans
http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Senate/members/s16.html

And here is the link for the Tennessee General Assembly. Its really easy to find the Legislator for your area, and I encourage you to reach out to them. They all need to hear from us
http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/Apps/fml/districts.aspx

Here is a link for your Senators in Congress. Should also be fairly easy to find the right person to contact
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

And here is the letter I have sent to all the above. Once again feel free to use it in its entirey, or take some of it, change parts of it. Its free for you to use. Its pretty much a similar version to my previous blog post

My first words are – I challenge you to get to know me.

The current political climate has made me consider this – reaching out to people. Opening myself up to recrimination and even more anger and hatred. But I feel the need to try.

Before you judge me or others I have a challenge for you. I ask you to get to know me, to learn about me. Hear about my trials, listen to my story. Before you decide that I am abhorrent, or evil, or confused, I ask that you open your mind and find out just who I am.

Please take just a moment to learn my story. How hard it was for me growing up, hiding my secret, fearful that anyone would find out just what I was. I knew no one would accept me, not friends, not family and not the world at large. Can you imagine what it is to grow up being different, knowing you are different and fearful every single day that someone would find out. We are worried every single time we step out the door. Every day is an endless challenge. We fight our nature every single day for years, many of us falling into depression and many attempting suicide due to the difficulty and lack of acceptance.

Can you imagine a childhood like that – one where you are never accepted, you never fit in and you are truly terrified every single day. You struggle against it, wondering why you are different, why you were made this way when none of your family was, but you also know you will be reviled if anyone finds out.

And then, after years of terror, of struggle, of learning and dealing with depression and fear you find the strength to accept yourself for who you are. And when you finally embrace yourself and acknowledge you are Transgender and then your legislatures turn against you. Then you face discrimination in every walk of life, they write laws to discriminate against you and make your life even harder, like that is really what you need.

I challenge you to sit down and see me. If you are a Christian I challenge you to be like Jesus. If he were around right now, I know for a fact he would sit down with me. You don’t have to understand me, you don’t even have to agree with me, but learn my story, hear my struggles, my trials before you judge. Learn how I am just like everyone else – all I want is to earn a living and find life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and not have to fight discrimination and violence, hatred and be reviled every single day. Act like Jesus, sit with me, see me and listen to me before you pass laws against me.

If you are not Christian, then I simply ask you to open your heart and mind to my plight, my story and listen to the sadness in my voice. My sadness at never being accepted.

Life is hard enough. My entire life has been one long struggle to find acceptance within myself and the moment I do, the laws of the land start turning against me, reviling me, leading others to hate me. If you learn, you will see I am no danger, I am no threat. I am simply another person trying to be who I am meant to be. To live. To be happy and to have the same rights you take for granted.