“Show up, follow up, and make sure they know I’m not going away”
In mid-May, five WDI USA volunteers joined the women of WoLF in DC to meet with members of Congress and advocate for women’s sex-based rights. Our volunteers traveled from Michigan, Illinois, DC, and Virginia. In total, 18 women represented eight states; another eight women weren’t able to come in person but joined meetings virtually. Besides Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF) and WDI USA, the organizations represented included Women Are Real (WAR), ROAR Women NYC, and LGB Alliance USA.
There were 32 meetings over the course of the week. Of those, 13 were with the offices of Republicans and 19 were with Democrats. Altogether the Congressional offices represented 16 states.
Unlike , this year there were no issues with last-minute meeting cancellations. While they were certainly not all receptive or engaged, everyone we spoke to was polite.
We also stopped by the offices of dozens of Senators and Representatives to introduce WoLF’s work and distribute invites to a reception, which was held at the end of the week. It was attended by Congressional staffers, other advocates, and journalists, including the author of this piece. We also attended a coffee for Illinois constituents and their guests.
At that event, Brianna had the opportunity to tell Senators Duckworth and Durbin and the rest of the crowded room that she’s been writing to women incarcerated at Logan, an ostensibly women’s prison, about their experiences being housed with male offenders. Senator Durbin responded: “I thought that was a women’s prison.”
Brianna responded that it is, and yet 12 men are housed there. Senator Durbin did not respond further, but several others in the crowd found us afterward. We chatted and gave them Not Our Crimes business cards. This came on the heels of having had a very productive meeting with a member of Senator Durbin’s judiciary team. That meeting focused exclusively on the issue of men being housed in women’s prisons if they claim to be women. The staffer was very engaged throughout the meeting and was horrified to hear about the criminal records of the men who have been transferred to women’s facilities.
Throughout the week, two particular angles were most effective, regardless of the staffer’s party. First was the issue of men in women’s prisons. In 27 states and federally, men can be housed in women’s prisons if they meet certain criteria. Second, we began to make a point of pausing and letting the staffer know that our objection to gender ideology was not coming from a place of homophobia, that in fact many of us were same-sex attracted, and that the ideology itself is homophobic.
Reflections from some of the WDI USA volunteers who participated
“This week of Congressional advocacy has inspired me to do more at a local level. My messaging got better and tighter as the week progressed. My nerves calmed after the first day, but the adrenaline still runs strong in my blood days later. I feel empowered by speaking truth to power. Best of all, this week taught me that my messaging doesn’t have to be perfect. I just need to show up, follow up, and make sure they know I’m not going away.” — Brianna, Illinois
“While I was not able to travel to Washington, DC, for the WoLF-hosted #AdvocacyWeek2026, I appreciated the opportunity to meet virtually with the legislative aides of my Senators. The best part was doing so with the support of physically present and respected colleagues who share a common goal: to restore, protect, and advance the sex-based rights of women and girls in law and public policy. Truly empowering!” — Kerri, Wisconsin
“I am extremely grateful to WoLF for organizing this! We achieved so much in just four days and I learned so much. It may have been the single most exhausting week of my life, but now that I’m back home, I’m inspired to get together with women in my state and schedule meetings with our state legislators as well.” — Katherine, Virginia
Are you inspired too?
Here is one quick action you can take right away to protect the sex-based rights of women and girls at the federal level. Please ask your members of Congress to consider introducing our model bill, the Equality for All Act. It’s an alternative to the so-called Equality Act, which would enshrine “gender identity” as a protected characteristic. By contrast, our proposed Equality for All Act would protect sexual orientation and non-conformity to sex-based stereotypes.
