Three Ohioans, including one transgender teenager, lobbied Ohio Republican U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce and three Minnesota lawmakers for trans equality with support from the ACLU and Advocates for Trans Equality in mid-February.
The father, Mike, his 17-year-old daughter Marigold and 63-year-old trans elder Kaden Ames joined around 30 other people chosen by the ACLU to lobby lawmakers in Congress. Together, they walked through Washington, D.C. to meet with the organizations. (Mike requested his and his daughter’s last name not be used in this story.)
As they walked through the city, Mike, a Navy veteran, observed tattered and torn American flags flying on buildings such as the Capitol.
“I’ve been up to D.C. quite a few times, and it was honestly a disgrace this time,” he said. “It’s all just dog-and-pony shows.”
‘Did he blink at all?’
They went through the ACLU’s lobbying training and welcome dinner. After forming a group with another chosen lobbyist, they lobbied lawmakers the next day.
Mike, Marigold and Ames received a starkly different reception from the Democratic staffers versus Joyce’s staff member.
Ames said Joyce’s staffer felt “cold.” The man had a tablet and pen to take notes, but when he realized what the meeting was about, he put his phone on top of his tablet and leaned back.
“You couldn’t read anything from him,” Ames said. He recalled telling ACLU after, “Did he blink at all?”
Marigold felt herself falter when trying to present her talking points to Joyce’s staffer.
“It felt like we had gotten nowhere,” she said. “I didn’t feel as though my voice had been heard.”
Mike, Marigold’s father, had a conversation with someone else in the office. The person told him the staffer they spoke to was a new hire.
“They just grabbed the new guy and stuck him in a room with us,” Mike said. “I’ve had more engaging conversations with trees.”
The Democrats took notes and seemed familiar with the issues, all three said. When Marigold brought up Trump’s 988 mental health hotline cuts, their faces changed.
Marigold spoke about how her friends used 988 in the past. With the LGBTQ+ option pulled, she said they stopped calling the hotline altogether.
“They were actually a little taken off guard,” she said. “At the end, they said, ‘Yeah, I almost forgotten about that. I’m glad you reminded us.’”
Takeaways
Ames was scared to travel to D.C. It was his first time traveling alone, but the ACLU paired him with Mike and Marigold.
Reflecting on his time in D.C., Ames felt he could do something like this again.
“ I felt heard, I felt seen. People acknowledged me. Everybody but David Joyce’s representative shook my hand. One lady asked if she could hug me,” he said. “It was a really good experience.”
Marigold said she wasn’t thinking too far ahead, and she trusted that staffers would relay her talking points and have more sway over a lawmaker’s decision making.
“I didn’t go in with any expectations, because I have no idea what to expect in these times,” she said. “I don’t think about the people they’re representing as much when I’m speaking to them.”
Marigold is used to speaking to authority to advocate for herself as a trans woman, and she has “gotten used to feeling like part of something bigger than me.”
“I know that I can [do this] now,” she said. “I’ve opened the gateway to perhaps future representation, and my ability and potential to fight for my rights, my cause and my identity as a human being.”
Mike has been on edge ever since federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security occupied Minneapolis on the basis of immigration enforcement, he said. He wasn’t sure if he was going to come back with Marigold.
Despite his worries, Mike said he saw his daughter grow during the trip, and they bonded.
“There are very few moments I’ve been prouder or more confident in her,” Mike said. “I actually got to see my child be herself.”
“I was trying to just let my daughter do her thing because she’s the important person in that equation. She tried to take the lead in most ways. It was beautiful – absolutely terrifying, but beautiful.” 🔥
IGNITE ACTION
- To learn more about volunteer opportunities with the ACLU of Ohio, click here.
- The Buckeye Flame’s Ohio LGBTQ+ legislation guide for 2025-2026 can be found here.
- To register to vote or to check your voter eligibility status in the state of Ohio, click here.
- To find contact information for your Ohio state representative, click here.
- To find contact information for your Ohio state senator, click here.
- If you are a young LGBTQ+ person in crisis, please contact the Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor.
- If you are an transgender adult in need of immediate help, contact the National Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
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