About OUT on the Hill
The National Black Justice Collective’s signature program, OUT on the Hill Leadership Summit, is the premier advocacy event, bringing hundreds of Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+/Same-Gender Loving (LGBTQ+/SGL advocates nationwide to Washington, DC, to meet with Congressional, Administrative, and Industry leaders about issues disproportionately impacting our community for over a decade.
At OUT on the Hill, emerging leaders, activists, seasoned leaders, elected officials, and influencers strategize and take collective action to meet our community’s most urgent policy priorities. The OUT on the Hill Leadership Summit 2025 will occur during National Equity Week activities from June 10th to 14th in Washington, DC. You can learn more about National Equity Week at https://nbjc.org/equity-week/.
About the National Black Justice Coalition
Since 2003, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) has been America’s leading national civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer+, and same gender loving (LGBTQ+/SGL) people, including people living with HIV/AIDS through coalition building, federal policy change, research, and education. Our mission is to end racism, homophobia, and LGBTQ+/SGL bias and stigma. NBJC supports Black individuals, families, and communities in strengthening the bonds and bridging the gaps between the movements for racial justice and LGBTQ+/SGL equity. We envision a world where all people are fully empowered to participate safely, openly, and honestly in family, faith, and community, regardless of race, class, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
About CBCF ALC
During the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference, NBJC hosts the annual OUT on the Hill Bayard Rustin and Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray Advocates for Justice Awards Reception honoring champions of the Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+/Same-Gender Loving (LGBTQ+/SGL) community.
NBJC also prepares its OUT on the Hill “Own Your Power” Events Passport, which highlights receptions, fundraisers, workshops, and other activities that NBJC recommends members of the Black LGBTQ+/SGL community attend, ask questions, and actively participate to demonstrate public support and urgent need for pro-Black policies that affirm and include ALL Black people. Under each event description is a queer consideration that provides connecting information on why the issue discussed impacts Black LGBTQ+/SGL people, along with a question in italics that can be shared separately or alongside the context during Q&A or in conversations with speakers after the event. As we get closer to the event, more information will be shared on this page, so bookmark it to ensure you stay “in the know.”
Best Practices for Engaging Law Makers at Public Events
Ask a Question: Develop a list of questions you will ask members of Congress during the event. Listed with each event below, you will find “Queer Considerations” that highlight how the CBCF ALC workshop tackles a policy area that has a disproportionate impact on Black LGBTQ+/SGL people, including people living with HIV/AIDS alongside a question we would like you to ask during the session.
- If the issue directly impacts you, incorporate your personal story briefly to show real impact on our community.
- Story+Queer Considerations Template: As a member of the Black LGBTQ+/SGL community, _______ (policy issue) has impacted me by ________ (describe how you’ve been impacted, then pivot to queer considerations and question). Practicing your story and questions with others can help you feel more confident.
- Story+Queer Considerations Example: As a member of the Black LGBTQ+/SGL community, the lack of inclusive reproductive healthcare has had an incredibly negative impact on my life. Black same-gender loving women, transgender men, and others with female reproductive organs are disproportionately impacted by reproductive health disorders such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, fibroids, and uterine cancers. Our community also faces erasure when it comes to abortion, contraception, and fertility resources. What do lawmakers and community leaders need in order to ensure Black same-gender loving women, transgender men, and others with female reproductive organs are included in policies and critical conversations related to reproductive health and its economic impacts?
- Arrive early to organize yourself and select prime seating.
- Sit close to a standing mic, to the front where you can be easily seen to be called on, and/or be prepared to meet with the lawmaker after the session ends to ask your question one-on-one.
- Where and if appropriate, record the interaction for social and earned media use in addition to congressional accountability during legislative drafting, markup, and voting. Be sure to Google any prohibitions on recording at public events as they vary across communities.
- Show your approval or disapproval of the member’s response as appropriate by clapping your hands, nodding your head, or other non-verbal methods of communication.
- If you are able to ask your question, please provide notes on the responses shared in our event report form HERE.
- Take a photo and capture the essence of the member’s response in a social media post tagging #OUTontheHill and @NBJContheMove.
- Be persistent and polite – politicians are known to stick to talking points with canned answers. It’s important we know who our active accomplices are versus fair-weather allies.
- After the event connect with your member of Congress about the issues important to you via Phone, Social Media, Fax, Email, or Letter to the Editor using our digital action hub HERE.
- If the issue directly impacts you, incorporate your personal story briefly to show real impact on our community.
Be an active participant: Asking questions isn’t comfortable for everyone. Being an active audience member can also be helpful in supporting our community. If something positive about our community or our community is explicitly included in a conversation point, it is important to clap and demonstrate other signs of public support for Black LGBTQ+/SGL inclusion. Conversely, if something is said or shared that would harm or negatively impact our community, it is important to share our disapproval of those comments – including harmful comments and questions from other audience members. If you are attending with other members from your community or organization, spreading out in the audience can help amplify the perception of public support being even larger than if everyone sits together in one section.
Voting is a Super Power
Each one of us has the opportunity to Own Our Power. However, it is our choice whether we activate our powers. One of the superpowers in a democracy is voting. How our members of Congress show up for us – or don’t – matters deeply because we have one chance every two years in the House of Representatives and every six years in the U.S. Senate to identify someone else who will show up for our community. Our Vote Ready Toolkit will ensure you have everything you need to exercise your right to vote, restore your right to vote or participate in our democracy using other superpowers. Read and use our toolkit, then share it with the people in your life who need a reminder that their voice matters just as much as anyone else in our nation. Finally, if members of Congress claim to represent the Black community but exclude the Black LGBTQ+/SGL community, use this toolkit to ensure there are enough voters ready in your community to change your players in the game. We must have a Congressional Black Caucus that is truly rooting for everybody Black.