Amid a wave of state and federal attacks and rollbacks on protections and equality measures for transgender people, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) is hosting nearly two hundred activists from 30+ states for a two-day focus on meeting with, and educating, their elected officials about issues important to nearly two million transgender people in the nation.
Before a full day of training and lobbying on Capitol Hill, participants will attend a kickoff reception Thursday evening featuring an address from Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-MA), chair of the House Transgender Equality Caucus. The two-day event will culminate with a Rally for Transgender Equality, in the evening of June 9.
In addition to focused training sessions, this year’s event features dynamic speakers including:
- Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Democratic Leader, U.S. House of Representatives
- Grace Dolan-Sandrino, Teen transgender activist
- Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, Director of External Relations, NCTE and former White House LGBT Liaison
- Merrick Moses, community organizer, minister, and writer
- Dr. Marisa Richmond, Secretary and Lobbyist for the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition
“Despite achieving some significant policy advances and increased visibility over the past few years, transgender people continue to face enormous obstacles in almost every area of their lives,” says Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, director of external relations. “Despite increasingly strict voter ID laws and many trans people who have ID that may not math their gender identity, trans people vote. Lobby Day is about ensuring trans people can achieve simple parity and full equality by participating in society and having our voices heard on the issues affecting us.”
“Our participants will meet face-to-face with members of Congress and their staff as concerned and engaged constituents, representing all the people back in their communities who care about equality and protections for transgender people targeted by mean-spirited and discriminatory laws,” says Freedman-Gurspan.
