June 8, 2022 - SPARTA, in partnership with MMAA & MilPride, invites you to help!
What is Advocacy Day?
This June 8th we will be focusing attention on passing the Truman Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. Transgender service members will be speaking with legislators in Washington DC to stress the importance of including the Truman Amendment in the annual military policy bill. The Truman Amendment establishes a nondiscrimination policy so that the eligibility for service in the Armed Forces may not include criteria relating to the race, color, national origin, religion, or sex (including gender identity, sex characteristics, or sexual orientation) of an individual.
Passing this legislation would codify the opportunity for all who can meet the standards of service in the armed forces to serve, regardless of gender identity or any other characteristic that has no bearing on their ability to serve.
Adding your voice is critical to ensuring our legislators understand how much support is out there for everyone having the opportunity to serve!
Who else supports this effort?
Joining SPARTA and MMAA are the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Service Women's Action Network, Minority Veterans of America, American Veterans for Equal Rights, National Center for Transgender Equality, Transgender American Veterans Association, and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders. Check out the wonderful work all of these organizations are doing to support service members, veterans, and LGBTQ+ folks!
Not going to DC? Good news, you can still help!
While service members will be lobbying members of congress in person on June 8th, you can support their efforts by calling or emailing congress the same week.
Read these guidelines
- You’ll be speaking to an aide. Speak calmly and clearly.
- Be respectful. The staffers that answer the phone are not looking to challenge your opinion, and you should treat them with the same respect you expect from them, regardless of which party they work for. Thank them for their time, they are public servants too and a thank you can go a long way.
- Add your own words. Edit the script to make it as generic (I am a service member who supports transgender service members) or as personal (I am a transgender service member and have served X years in the [name of service]) as you like.
- If you are calling the representative where you vote: Let them know that you are a constituent. Say the city and state you are from.
- If you are calling the representative where you are stationed but not a resident: Let them know that you are a military service member living in their district.
- Be brief. Aides receive a high volume of phone calls every day, so keep your call short and to the point.
Find Your Representatives
You can call/email the representatives in Congress for where you are a resident or where you are currently stationed. There are templates for both situations. Use this link with your zipcode to look up your representatives: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
Phone Script
Example
Your name and state
Hello, my name is [insert your name]. I'm a constituent from [insert your state], zip code [insert your zip code].
State the issue
I am calling to ask [insert your representative’s name] to support the Truman Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. Over the past 6 years transgender people have proven their ability to serve alongside all other members of our military and we are a stronger, more capable force with everyone included. I want to make sure that the opportunity for them to serve is enshrined in law.
Explain what you would like the representative to do
Please support the Truman Amendment. Thank you.
Email Template
Dear Representative [blank], OR Dear Senator [blank],
I want to ensure the opportunity to serve in the military for all individuals capable of meeting standards and having that opportunity codified in law. I firmly believe this to be the best way for our nation to attract and retain the best and brightest who desire to serve and protect our nation in the 21st Century.
Over the past 6 years transgender people have proven their ability to serve alongside all other members of our military and we are a stronger, more capable force with everyone included. The military has adjusted and improved based upon transgender inclusion, just as it did when all previous minority groups were integrated.
I want to make sure that the opportunity for them to serve is enshrined in law.
Please support the Truman Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to ensure every qualified individual has the opportunity to serve.
Thank you
[insert name]
Questions? Need to know more? Check in with us at inquiries@spartapride.org
