1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I don’t know much about the effects that political letters have on Congress. I’m sure you get hundreds every day, especially with how ridiculous the choices you are making as of late. But I want to write you something just in case it makes a difference. I’m a trans Texan. And a college student. And a Christian. I have a cat named Lucky, a dog named Maggie, and five brothers. My favorite candle scent is fruit loops. My favorite book is East of Eden by John Steinbeck, with whom I share a birthday. I just celebrated my nineteenth. I used to work at a jewelry shop for two years. I’m really good at it now—I make my own pearl necklaces. It’s closing down because small businesses can’t survive in this economy and it really made me sad. But it’s okay. I’m learning Japanese. I’m getting pretty good at that, too. こんいちは! I have really good friends who took me to get sushi and go rollerblading on my birthday. They dyed flowers into my buzzcut and drew pictures of my pets and turned them into stickers for me. I started testosterone recently. I’m really excited about it. I’m buying myself a Caboodle to store all my vials and stuff in. You remember those? From the early 2000s? Every cool girl my age had one. I didn’t, but I didn’t really need one either. I had a bunch of cigar boxes I loved playing with instead—that’s not sarcasm or anything. I really loved cigar boxes. My grandpa gave them to me when he was through with them and they always had such beautiful designs on them. They were awesome for playing pretend with. All this to say: I want you to remember me. You’re making a bunch of anti-trans, anti-queer laws—I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because you think it’ll make your voter base like you more. Maybe it’s because someone is putting pressure on you. Maybe it’s because you hate trans people. Maybe it’s because it’s just trendy to hate trans people right now, but deep down you don’t really have an opinion on the matter. I don’t really know—it’s not any of my business, if I’m being honest. But as you pass these laws, and as you move to eradicate trans people, force trans kids to commit suicide rather than providing common-sense transitioning options, eliminate gender affirming surgeries and encourage trans hate to become the norm, to make trans people scared to leave their homes? I want you to think of me. I want you to remember the weird long letter about Caboodles and Japanese and think of me as a real human being that you are impacting. My whole personality isn’t Queer, you know. I prefer to think of myself as a writer, or a Christian, or a nerd, or a collector, or a college student, before I think of myself as a trans person. Remember me. Please stop hurting me. Please stop scaring me. Please stop hurting my loved ones and my friends. Please focus on something else, something productive and kind. Please make something, anything, actually better. Please. I am so tired.