PART II

Template Language

Messaging Tips –

Telling Your Story

Items only move forward when legislators champion them. Legislators become champions for causes when they understand the personal stories behind them and are shown a strong connection to communities in their district and state.The good news? No one knows your story or community like you! But sharing your story can be hard, and it's important to make sure you're taking care of yourself. Read about advocates' experiences with sharing their stories and setting boundaries in these links:

3. Begin with Shared Values. Start by emphasizing universal values such as protecting health, respecting autonomy, and equitable opportunities for all families. These values resonate widely and lay a strong foundation for your message. Once these values are established, illustrate how the proposed legislation upholds and promotes them. This approach not only builds rapport but also frames your advocacy in a way that is universally relatable and compelling.

4. Localize Your Impact. Highlight the specific impact on your local community or state by presenting relevant data and examples. Identify and collaborate with community leaders and organizations within your city or state who support your cause. Emphasize to elected officials that supporting this initiative is a leadership opportunity for them and assure them that they will have local backing and won’t be alone in this effort.

5. Amplify with External Voices. Your personal story is crucial, but it's equally important to show broad support for your position. Highlight endorsements from respected organizations and key validators relevant to relationship and family structure diversity. Including authoritative voices lends credibility to your advocacy and demonstrates that your stance is part of a larger, well-supported movement.

6. Highlight Diverse Perspectives and Numbers. Showcasing a variety of experiences—including those of individuals in non-nuclear family structures, both those who have faced discrimination and those who haven't, as well as supportive community experts (e.g., healthcare providers, lawyers, social workers)—strengthens your case. It's essential to demonstrate broad support and highlight the quantifiable impact of the legislation.

Messaging Tips –

Telling Your Story

1. Educate. Many people may lack a basic understanding of the diversity in relationship and family structures, including the appropriate terminology, particularly when it comes to understanding family and relationship structures outside of the monogamous nuclear family norm. This unfamiliarity can lead to anxiety about making mistakes, causing them to disengage. To keep your audience engaged, consider the terms you use and take the time to explain any that might be unfamiliar. For example, you can refer to and share this fact sheet on consensual non-monogamy or this fact sheet on relationship and family structure diversity to provide clear and accurate information.

2. Use first-person language. First-person language is a powerful tool that empowers advocates to take ownership of their narratives, helps establish trust and credibility with audiences, and can move others to action. For example, say things like “as someone who,” “as a family who,” or “as a health care provider who” where appropriate. This can help the audience to see the human impact behind your advocacy and to understand that emotional and practical realities of family and relationship structure diversity issues. Using first-person language can also be used to highlight specific experiences and details in the context of a broader issue and may even encourage others to share their own stories, creating a sense of solidarity and community.

Template Outreach Email

You can use this template email as a base to write your initial outreach to your legislators. Download the template email here.

Subject: Discussing Community Support for Inclusive Family Protections

Template Meeting Script

You can use this template meeting script as a base to plan your advocacy with your legislators. Download a PDF of the talking points here.

Talking Points:

Purpose of the Ordinance: Explain that the ordinance aims to protect individuals and families in our municipality from discrimination based on their family or relationship structure. Emphasize that everyone deserves equal treatment and protection under the law, regardless of their familial arrangements.
Legal Basis: Discuss the legal precedent and necessity for such an ordinance, citing similar legislation passed in other municipalities like Somerville, Cambridge, Oakland, and Berkeley. Highlight the importance of ensuring that our laws reflect the diversity of modern families and relationships
Impact on the Community: Describe how the ordinance will positively impact our community by fostering inclusivity, reducing stigma, and promoting fairness. Share any relevant data or anecdotes demonstrating the need for protection against discrimination based on family structure.
Support and Collaboration: Express gratitude for the legislator's willingness to consider the proposal and emphasize the importance of collaboration between grassroots organizers and elected officials. Offer to provide any additional information or resources needed to support the drafting and passage of the ordinance.

Template Meeting Script

These anticipated questions and answers should help you prepare for your meeting. Download a PDF of the talking points here.

Anticipated Q&A:

Question: What specific types of discrimination would this ordinance address?

Answer: The ordinance would prohibit discrimination in areas such as housing, employment, public accommodations, and city-supported services based on an individual's family or relationship structure. This includes protections for individuals in polyamorous relationships, cohabiting unmarried couples, multi-generational households, blended families, and other non-nuclear family arrangements.

Question: How would this ordinance be enforced, and what penalties would be imposed for violations?

Answer: Enforcement mechanisms could include filing complaints with a designated city agency or human rights commission, similar to existing anti-discrimination laws. Penalties for violations might include fines, injunctions, or other remedies aimed at addressing and preventing discrimination.

Question: How would this ordinance impact religious organizations or businesses with sincerely held beliefs about nuclear family structures?

Answer: The ordinance would include exemptions for religious organizations and certain small businesses with bona fide religious beliefs, consistent with existing anti-discrimination laws. It would also provide essential protections for individuals and families in our community who do not share those beliefs and deserve equal treatment under the law.

Question: Are there any potential challenges or criticisms associated with this ordinance?

Answer: The ordinance is intended to promote fairness and inclusivity, and there may be concerns raised about its impact on religious freedom or the rights of business owners. Addressing these concerns through thoughtful drafting and collaboration with stakeholders will be essential to crafting a balanced and effective ordinance.

Sample Comment Script for Public Meetings

You can use this template as a base to compose your public comments for hearings. Download the sample script here.

Good [morning / afternoon / evening], my name is [Name] and I am a [role as a grassroots organizer / in the movement and/or identity as a community member]. I am here today to advocate for the passage of the nondiscrimination ordinance protecting diverse family and relationship structures in our community.

This ordinance aims to protect individuals and families in our municipality from discrimination based on their family or relationship structure. It is imperative that we ensure that all of our community members receive equal treatment under the law, regardless of their agreed upon familial arrangements. This ordinance will positively impact our community by fostering inclusivity, reducing stigma, and promoting fairness in housing, employment, public accommodations, and city-supported services. Similar ordinances have already been passed in several municipalities across the country, such as Somerville, MA, Cambridge, MA, Oakland, CA, and Berkeley, CA.

[Personal Stories/Testimonials OR Subject Matter Expertise] Share personal stories or testimonials from individuals in our community who have experienced discrimination based on their family or relationship structure, illustrating the real-life impact and necessity of this ordinance. If you have expertise in this area (e.g., you are a healthcare professional who treats patients that have been impacted by discrimination based on family or relationship structure), please share those stories/data, as well.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate with grassroots organizers, elected officials, and community members in crafting and advocating for the passage of this ordinance and sincerely believe that the needs of our diverse communities are best served when people of diverse backgrounds come together to achieve common goals. I implore our legislators to support and pass this nondiscrimination ordinance to ensure that our municipality remains a welcoming and inclusive place for all residents.

Template Press Release

You can use this template as a base to compose your press release after a successful legislative push!

Download the sample press release here.

[City, State] - [Date] - The [municipality] passed new protections extending nondiscrimination laws to cover family and relationship structure, [INSERT ADDITIONAL DETAILS ABOUT SIGNIFICANCE OF MUNICIPALITY HERE (e.g., first in state, ##th city in the U.S./region, etc.)]. The [municipality] ordinance follows the passage of similar protections in [INSERT RECENTLY PASSED NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCES AND THEIR DATES AND LOCATION HERE].

The ordinance prohibits discrimination in areas such as housing, business establishments and public services on the basis of family or relationship structure. The protections cover individuals with diverse family and relationship structures, including multi-parent families and relationships, step-families, multi-generational households, single parents, non-nuclear family structures, consensually non-monogamous relationships, and asexual/aromantic relationships.

The introduction of these ordinances reflects a growing social understanding of the diverse forms that families and relationships take today, as well as increasing advocacy efforts by groups like the [INSERT DETAILS ABOUT ADVOCACY GROUPS INVOLVED IN THIS EFFORT HERE]. [NOTE ANY ORDINANCES THAT ARE PENDING ELSEWHERE HERE].

[INSERT QUOTES AS DESIRED HERE]

These bills are an essential step forward in the movement for family inclusivity and recognition of the increasing diversity of families in the United States. They also come on the heels of ordinances in [INSERT MUNICIPALITIES WITH RECENTLY PASSED NONDISCRIMINATION ORDINANCES HERE], which [INSERT STATEMENT ABOUT IMPACT OF OTHER ORDINANCES HERE].

Contact for follow up interviews available: [INSERT NAMES, TITLES, AND CONTACT INFORMATION HERE]