Suggestions for Writing to Public Officials

by Victoria Frost

Sometimes, when you write to a public official asking them to support an issue important to you, they refuse.

They may do so directly, but usually they do so indirectly by attempting to make their "no" sound like "yes," or by trying to confuse you so that you are not sure of their position and will drop the issue in frustration.

A common ploy for the indirect refusal is to obfuscate by telling you about all they are doing on some seemingly related issue that actually is not at all related to your original request.

Do not respond in anger. That is counterproductive.

I have written guidelines elsewhere for such replies, but oftentimes an example is more elucidative. Therefore, I offer the following example of how you might effectively reply to a refusal of support on an issue important to you.

Dear Senator/Congressman/Mr. President/Etc:

Thank you for your (put date here), reply to our recent correspondence asking you to sign the Diversity Statement distributed by the Human Rights Campaign and by the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC). We understand from your response to our request that you will not sign the diversity statement. We are greatly disappointed in you. We were sure you would do the right thing in this regard.

In most of the United States, a person can be fired from his or her job if they do not conform to arbitrary, societal imposed gender stereotypes. Some people are born with a gender that is at odds with their body sex. For example, a person, like Joe's brother, whose brain tells him he is female, may be born with a male body, and vice versa. These poor people struggle through much of their lives to conform their public behavior, and their outer appearance, to their body sex. Can you imagine what it must be like to be female, but with a male body; or to be male, but with a female body? Or, perhaps, to feel that you are both genders at once? As an exercise in compassion, please try it for a minute. What do you feel and what would you do to cope? Would you commit suicide? Some do. Fortunately, however, most of these people choose life and attempt to be reasonably happy and content by dressing and presenting themselves according to their true (brain) gender, in spite of, and in contradiction of, their body sex. Tragically, in the United States (but not in a number of other more enlightened countries) these poor people are denied this small attempt to secure a bit of happiness and peace of mind, because they almost certainly will lose their job, their safety, or their life. GenderPAC can provide you with many examples of such tragedies. We suppose it is too much to ask that you also support related hate-crimes legislation.

In this country, where we give lip service to "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness" for all peoples, we had hoped we could count on you to do the right and humane thing. Apparently you will not. We are sad.

Your name and the names of others signing this letter; for example your spouse, other family members, etc.

This newsletter is a labor of love for of our contributing editrixes. Please join the staff by submitting your own insights into the world of cross-dressing. Send your input to: Rachel Boyd, or R.R. Boyd, P.O. Box 2252, Ashburn, VA 20146-9152.

Website problems, comments or suggestions? Let geekgrrl know about 'em!

Updated: 05/08/04