We Can’t All Do Everything, But Everyone Can Do Something
Many folks have sent me messages or commented on Facebook posts to ask what concrete steps you can take to get involved on the issues that matter most in a President Donald Trump world. Here’s my not-even-a-little-bit-complete list of how to get involved on an issue. Â
Pick Your Cause. You’re not going to be able to fix everything, but you can fix one thing. Learn as much as you can about that specific issue. Read books, articles, and everything you can get your hands on, from all sides. Make lists of your talking points on why this should matter to people who are connected, and especially for people who are not connected.
Remember that not every issue is a massive national issue. In fact, most aren’t. You’re most affected by local and state laws. It may even be a school or neighborhood policy you want to work on, but that may be what affects you or your family the most. That’s totally worthwhile.
Learn the Field. Who are the power players? Where are the decisions made? Is it a local issue? A school issue? A state issue? National? Who are the people you have to know? Focus your time on learning the process and identifying the people you have to know. (And please, please, please, go meet your local legislators in person. They’re the ones whose laws will affect you most, and once they know you? They’ll remember you every time you call or write them.)
Build Relationships. No one is going to listen to a carpetbagger. You’ve got to put in the work of getting to know the players, the teams and the system. Start showing up to city council meetings or hearings or even happy hours. Whenever you can introduce yourself to someone, do it, and then get them to talk about themselves. They’ll love you for it.
Plan Your Course of Action. Are you looking to change public opinion or change policy? Writing a petition and getting signatures to convince a city council to change a policy might be four times as much work as requesting an agenda item be added and showing up to speak about it with some friends. (Also, talk to the people you’ve built relationships with. Where have they had success in the past? What do they say about the people you’re trying to convince?)
Tell Your Friends, Family, and Network What You’re Doing. We’re attracted to people who think and act like we do, which means you’ve got instant allies. The more people you talk to, the more likely you’re going to gain support and connections. Someone’s going to know someone. I’ve gotten 20 different messages from people asking how to get involved here because you all know I keep talking about stuff that’s important to me. Don’t be afraid to share your passions and do some evangelizing.
If you’re willing to put in the work, I promise you things can happen. If everyone focused on the issues they’re an expert in or most passionate about, we could do some pretty amazing things. We can’t all do everything, but everyone can do something.Â
Robbie Medwed is an Atlanta-based LGBT activist, writer, and educator. He wrote this post in response to many of his friends questions and queries, and realize it’d be a really nice thing to share with the rest of the world. Follow him on Twitter: @rjmedwed