If we’re going to win – and win big – we need people building this movement from the ground up in communities all across the country. We need to act locally and think federally – that is to say, we need to engage democracy not just in Washington once a year, but back at home on a daily basis. We don’t just mean in urban centers like New York, DC, and San Francisco. We mean in small, rural towns from East Tennessee to Alaska, Idaho to Mississippi.

Just like belly buttons and opinions, every one living in the US has a Congressional District. The size of Congressional Districts varies, but the regions are based on population. Each Congressional District has one Representative in the US House of Representatives.

There is, of course, one notable exception to this generalization. In an astounding twist of irony, Washington, DC has no federal representation. But there is some AMAZING organizing happening in DC for equality, and DC organizers are integral to our movement.

Engaging our US Representatives will be an important part of achieving full federal equality. We’ll also have to engage the rest of the federal government – the Senate, the White House, and the Supreme Court – but Congressional Districts are a convenient way to divide and conquer the work we have ahead of us. Some states like California have LOTS of Congressional Districts, while others like Wyoming have only one. It’s fine if you work with folks who live in a nearby Congressional District. The point is just that you should be working with people who live close by, who all understand what it’s like to live where you do. After all…you don’t want someone in DC or San Francisco telling you how to do things in your community, right?!

Source: Equality Across America, CDAT Organizers Toolkit #1