FUTR Action
We are raising our voices on behalf of transgender people—our family members.
Families of transgender people are not often heard in the debate raging around transgender rights. Right wing voices, amplified by hundreds of millions of dollars of paid advertising and an orchestrated campaign of disinformation, have dominated the conversation and the voices of parents who are just trying to love and support their kids are absent. But nothing is more universal or powerful than a parent’s love for their children.
How are we doing it?
What actions can you take?
Talk to your elected representatives. Tell them about your family’s journey – no matter what that journey looks like. Sharing that story with your representatives will humanize the transgender experience. Politicians are storytellers and we need to arm them with positive stories so they understand what we are asking them to fight for. You can find messaging guidance in our Resources Library that can help you frame these conversations – but remember that your authentic experience is the most powerful message you can deliver.
We will also send legislative alerts when Congress is beginning to take action on legislation that will harm the transgender community. Unfortunately, the executive orders the President has already signed are a road map to what Congress is likely to do this winter and spring. We will include talking points about the legislation – talking points that have been developed by a group of transgender strategists, based on research on the best ways to talk about transgender rights to broad and moderate audiences.
Lastly, our movement to protect the rights of transgender children depends on people like you and others participating. The more people we involve, the more powerful we are. Please share this with other parents, family members, and allies.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
It is their job to listen to their constituents. Use this link to find your representatives (Federal, state and local) and call, write or request a meeting. While you may not get the actual elected official, there are people in their office whose job it is to meet with you.
-
If you are concerned about confidentiality, schedule an in-person meeting to talk about transgender issues without mentioning your family member and then talk about your family, in confidence, in the meeting.
-
These conversations are very difficult and they are also the most important ones to have – the people who hold anti-transgender positions often arrive at those positions without ever meeting a transgender person or a parent of a transgender person. If they are parents, try to connect with them as parents.
-
We cannot take for granted that our allies will support us. Arming them with stories about families, grounded in more moderate language, will shore up their support and make them more effective advocates for transgender people with their colleagues.
-
In-person is always the best but choose whatever you are most comfortable doing – we will provide template letters with our legislative alerts to make it easy to write a letter and you can also use those as call scripts if you are more comfortable on the phone.
-
In the next few months, the action is going to be in Washington, DC – anti-trans legislation is a priority for the President and the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. That said, if you live in a state that is supportive of transgender people, make sure your state representatives and Governor hear from you how important it is that they redouble their efforts to safeguard the community. If you live in a state that has passed anti-transgender laws, reach out to your representatives and let them know the human cost of those laws – and advocate against more harmful legislation. You can learn more about your state’s laws here.
-
Transgender children need all the help they can get. If you’re a friend, neighbor, or just someone who cares about the individual rights and health of our children, you can still make a difference. Just follow all of the ways to reach your elected representatives outlined here and let them know how you feel and why.
Join the fight for the FUTR.
All of your donations go directly to the candidates and charities. FUTR is entirely volunteer run.