To: The Communicating with Congress group
Add the Gender-neutral "Mx." Option to Congressional Web Forms
Every day, thousands of Americans like myself send comments online to our elected representatives asking them to take action on what matters to them and to help make their country, state, city, or street a better place. But no matter the issue being communicated about, some gender non-conforming constituents can feel that their opinions, concerns, aspirations, and hopes mean a little less than everyone else’s since the often-required title or prefix field offers no options that reflect and honor their lived experience.
I would ask that you include the “Mx.” title option in order to be inclusive of ALL constituents. It will be a small but very meaningful step towards making this country a more inclusive and equitable place to live and thrive in, as no matter who we are, we all want to feel and know that our individual identities are recognized, valued, and honored. Thank you.
I would ask that you include the “Mx.” title option in order to be inclusive of ALL constituents. It will be a small but very meaningful step towards making this country a more inclusive and equitable place to live and thrive in, as no matter who we are, we all want to feel and know that our individual identities are recognized, valued, and honored. Thank you.
Why is this important?
To submit a comment to almost any elected official these days, the first thing you are required to submit is a title. You’re included in the pre-set list if you’re a Mr., Mrs., or even a Dr., Honorary, Professor, or Dean. But if you’re a non-gender-conforming individual – and chances are that if you’re not one yourself, someone you care about is – the message is clear: you don’t belong. And it is the hundreds of seemingly small exclusionary instances like this that make life so difficult for non-gender conforming people in the United States and around the world.
As it stands, organizations such as the Sierra Club, who strongly believe in building a more inclusive country, are still required to cause potential harm to their supporters by requiring titles whenever comments need to be submitted directly to an elected official. We hope to help all senators and House members to realize their obligation to make their constituents feel heard by offering the gender-neutral “Mx.” option on their web forms by the time the next Congress gets underway in January 2019.
While momentum to offer gender-inclusive title options on web forms has made progress in recent months, it remains stalled at the moment, and we hope you’ll join us in getting this one over the finish line!
As it stands, organizations such as the Sierra Club, who strongly believe in building a more inclusive country, are still required to cause potential harm to their supporters by requiring titles whenever comments need to be submitted directly to an elected official. We hope to help all senators and House members to realize their obligation to make their constituents feel heard by offering the gender-neutral “Mx.” option on their web forms by the time the next Congress gets underway in January 2019.
While momentum to offer gender-inclusive title options on web forms has made progress in recent months, it remains stalled at the moment, and we hope you’ll join us in getting this one over the finish line!