Explanation & strategy
Partnering with local organizations
Look for organizations in your city and state that you can partner with, whether they're focused on intersex rights or LGBTQIA+ rights more broadly. It's crucial to have people to bounce around ideas and divide up the work with. They may have existing relationships with legislators, other groups that might be helpful, the press, or community validators.
Finding sponsors
Every bill needs a sponsor to introduce it. This legislator will be your strongest advocate within the legislative system: they'll get others on board and shepherd the bill through the process. Start by looking up your local legislators here. You can also research legislators who have been supportive of LGBTQIA+ causes and contact their offices to schedule meetings with them or their staff.
The more you're able to do for the legislator’s impact and legacy (by providing press opportunities or the support of an active and vocal community, for example), the more likely they are to say "yes." Be sure to follow up because they will have a lot going on. Research other legislators who may be interested and meet with them too. The more sponsors and co-sponsors you have, the more people there are to push the bill through and divide up the work.
Making it through committee
Once the bill is introduced, it will be sent to the relevant committee for consideration. Ask your sponsor how the hearing will be scheduled: you may need to do outreach to committee members to get your bill on the agenda. It's also important to meet with committee members ahead of the hearing to ensure they have the facts.
At hearings, committee members listen to testimony and ask questions. You'll work with the sponsor to select some witnesses to testify. Focus on witnesses who can address the issue from different angles: intersex people, supportive families, and medical professionals, for example.
Work with everyone to ensure they are touching on different points while staying on message—and staying within time limits. Think about how you want your team's testimony to respond to the testimony of witnesses against the bill.
The committee will then decide whether to send the bill for further study, vote it down, or advance it to another committee or to a floor vote.
Signing the bill into law
Remember, the bill must pass both houses of the legislature and be signed by the governor to become law. After passing the first house, you'll want to work with your sponsor to do the same kind of outreach on the other side, and with the community to get people to contact their representatives. Resolutions may have similar or different processes, so make sure to look those up as well if you are introducing a resolution. It's also important to do the same outreach to the governor's office.
Working with press
Press is key, especially during and after any hearings. Work with the sponsor to send out press releases. Ask if there are reporters that supportive legislators have good relationships with. Look for reporters who cover LGBTQIA+ issues well, and send them our media guide. Remember, everyone has to work together to stay on message, so it's important to prepare and practice.
Op-eds are a great way to show the impact of the bill. You can write and publish multiple op-eds to highlight the same angles that the testimony highlighted. You can also coordinate to amplify the issue on social media, like by live-tweeting the hearing.
Find an example of a recent op-ed here.
