Please support Equality Virginia.
Make a contribution.
Sign the End Workplace Discrimination petition.
Become a member today.
|
The 2010 Session of the Virginia General Assembly opens on Wednesday, January 13th, with a new gubernatorial administration and 20 new members of the Virginia House of Delegates.
Do you know who represents you in the Virginia House of Delegates or in the Virginia Senate? If not, it's time to start a new relationship (actually, two)! If the answer's yes, it's time to renew and strengthen those relationships.
Start by checking to see who are your Delegate and Senator. Even if you think you know, you should double check. The fall elections turned over a number of seats in the House, and special elections are scheduled for two Senate seats before the General Assembly convenes.
Once you know who your legislators are you can start to build the kind of relationship necessary to grow your influence, and by extension, ours.
One of the important factors determining how legislators (and voters) feel about the issues that affect GLBT Virginians and their families is whether they know or are related to someone who is GLBT. You can help change hearts and minds simply by introducing yourself as a constituent and telling your legislator how important it is to change Virginia laws to protect you and your GLBT friends from discrimination in the workplace and to provide you and your families with equal access to employment and health care benefits.
You can introduce yourself to your Delegate and Senator (and their staff members) initially by phone, mail or email. You can find all of the relevant contact info for your legislators on the General Assembly website. Schedule an in-person meeting in Richmond during the legislative session (January 13 to March 13) or in the legislator's home office (after the 2010 session ends).
A good way to begin or continue to build a relationship with your legislators is by attending Equality Virginia Advocates Lobby Day on February 2nd. You'll meet other advocates, learn about the issues, and have time to meet with your legislator. Register for Lobby Day now.
The bottom line here is that one of the most important resources that Equality Virginia Advocates has in its work to change laws and change lives is YOU.
Make a resolution to start the New Year with a new relationship with your legislators and help EVA grow our influence as you change hearts and minds just by being you!
P.S. If one of the 20 new House of Delegates members is your delegate, it's especially important for you to establish a relationship with him or her now. It would also be helpful if you used EVA's guided interview form in your initial meeting with the delegate and report the results back to us. Call the office at 804-643-4816 or email us at info@equalityvirginia.org, and we'll get you a copy of the form.
P.P.S. Please support our advocacy work by becoming asustaining member of Equality Virginia Advocates today!
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment