A Letter to the HRC regarding their action center:

I’ve been receiving action updates from you (as well as several other fine organizations) for quite some time now.  But as my life has been changing I’ve grown increasingly uncomfortable using the Take Action form you have available on your website.  While I love the efficiency and effectiveness of such a system, it has always bothered me that I must disclose very personal and irrelevant information within my “title” in order to use it.

I am transgender and genderqueer.  My gender has been a part of major political contention.  One of my greatest fears of how the Real ID act will affect me personally is the increased documentation of and scrutiny on my gender.  Whenever I look at the Take Action form, I’m reminded of this fear once again.  I don’t necessarily want to disclose my gender to my representatives for two main reasons.  For one, depending on their records, this may ‘out’ me as transgender and put me at risk for any number of forms of discrimination.  Social Security has already made it their policy to inform employers of such ‘gender discrepancies’ among their employees.  I don’t always trust my representatives to be that much better.  Secondly, being genderqueer, there isn’t an option that fits my gender.  Having fought so hard to gain recognition for my gender, it feels like a betrayal of everything I have fought for to turn around and tell my representatives that I’m “really” some other gender.  I’m just not willing to compromise my values like that, and it pains me when taking a stand on that means I am unable to utilize your Take Action center.

I have heard that some representatives will not accept communications without titles.  While I’m skeptical (as they’ve never asked me on the phone or had a problem when I write them directly), I trust that that’s the case for some.  But wouldn’t it be better for me to be able to send a message without a title than to send no message at all?  Would they still reject it if you found a gender neutral title that was accessible to everyone (unlike Dr.)?  As awkward as it sounds, what do you think about Mr or Ms (as I’ve seen other places do Mr and Mrs)?

But when I really think about it, I don’t understand why you continue to put up this barrier to trans/genderqueer participants utilizing the Take Action center.  I’m pretty sure that I wrote you a year or two ago with the same complaint/suggestion.  I believe I also wrote the ACLU with the same complaint/suggestion.  I just discovered that the ACLU no longer requires a title from people before allowing them to use their Take Action center.  Is the ACLU really better on trans and gender issues than the HRC?

This is particularly frustrating when I just received an update encouraging me to write my representatives about the gender identity inclusive hate crimes bill.  I would love to be able to do so, knowing that while Senator Gordon Smith has been frustrating in other areas, he has been a big supporter (and co-sponsorer) of anti-hate crime legislation.  And I know that my story may be very persuasive to him.  But I am unable to use your system to write him and my other representatives.  Maybe I’ll end up writing him directly on this one.  But I would much prefer it if you could change your system and allow me to participate in this and future call to actions.