Testifying and Speaking in Public

Over the years I developed a few basic rules for testifying before a government body that help you to convey your message in the three minutes allowed. Your written testimony can be different from you oral testimony and it can be longer and contain additional information including references. You can also use them if you are going to be talking on behalf of an issue or proposed legislation to a group.

In Connecticut you usually have only three minutes to testify before a legislative committee, so you want to be precise and to the point. Making every word count.
The first rule is to tell who you are and what is your position on the topic (For or Against). (If it is for a bill you will also want to include the bill number and title).
Next you want to state your position; why you are in favor or against the issue or bill. Now you tell your story, how have you been affected; did something happen to you or did you see something?
If you are testifying before a legislative committee you should also include your town or voting district (Note: Your testimony will become a public record, so you might not want to give your full address, just the town or district where you live.).
Lastly, you should sum up your argument and restate your position and what you want to happen (i.e. Pass the legislation.)

Opening Statement

- You may begin with "Madam Chair, Mr. Chairman" (as appropriate) "and members of the committee." (Yikes, I am stumped! The co-chairs are a woman and a man, what do I do?)
- Identify yourself and the organization you represent (if any);
- State your position for or against the issue/proposed bill;
- Identify the bill by name and number;
- This section should be no more than 30 seconds long.

Statement

- How will the issue/bill effect you;
- Use factual information
- This section should be about 2 minutes long

Closing Statement

- Sum up your position at the end;
- Restate you position;
- Thank the person/committee for the opportunity to speak;
- This section should be no more than 30 seconds long

You do not have to stick to your written testimony, if you want to rebut previous testimony you can (but make sure of your facts and don't make it a personal attack) and try not to rehash previous testimony.

DOs and DON’Ts of Public Hearings

DOs

- DO call the clerk’s office in advance to find out what the rules are for your committee (some committees are first come, first to testify, while others are a lottery system) and also the number of copies of your testimony that you will need to bring
- DO dress in business attire
- DO have the bill number and title on top of each page of your testimony.
- DO arrive around 8:00AM and sign-up to testify at the committees clerk’s office for the bill that you want to testify on (Now this has changed since I wrote this... most committees now have a sign-up form on the committee's webpage.). There will be other bills heard that day (You can arrive later but then you will be at the bottom of the list.).
- DO give your copies of your testimony to the clerk (You should already know the number of copies that you will need because you will have called the clerk.). Now you can submit a PDF copy online, no need for your little red wagon pulling a load of transcripts. (When I was interning back in 2007, I literally pulled a red wagon overflowing with copies of testimonies, some committees required 20 copies!)
- DO practice and rehearse your spoken testimony before the hearing. Keep it under three minutes (See Testifying and Speaking in Public section above)
- DO realize that the hearing is a public document and it will be made public. So do not get too personal
- DO speak politely and answer questions from the legislators if asked. If you do not know the answer to a question reply gracefully, “I will have to look into your question and get back to you” and make sure you do get back to them with the answer.
- DO thank them for letting you testify before you get up after your testimony
- DO be prepared to spend the entire day, possibly into the evening hours if you intend to speak (I was there once from 7:30 AM until 7:30 PM). They do have a cafeteria in the LOB that is open to around 3:00 PM
- DO realize the legislators will be going in and out all day long. You might be testifying before only one or two legislators, but they may also be watching the hearing in their office on close circuit TV.
- DO realize there will be other bills not related to your bill that will be heard that day. The testimony will be in the order of the lottery or the sign-up sheet.
- DO realize that public officials and other legislators may speak at any time. So the public testimony may be halted to let them speak.
- DO be polite if you pass a legislator in the hall, ride down the elevator or sit near one at lunch time. Do not get into an argument with them on the elevator!
- DO walk quietly in and out of the room and do not let the door slam.

DON’Ts

- DO NOT talk longer than your allotted time. When the bell rings finish up your thought and wait to see if the legislators have any questions for you.
- DO NOT name the names of the person(s) or the business(es) that discriminated against you. It makes it sound like you have a vendetta and is unprofessional
- DO NOT Clap, boo, or otherwise disrupt the hearing.
- DO NOT talk in the hearing room.
- DO NOT repeat previous testimony, if it has been said already just make a brief statement that you agree with earlier statement and iterate the key points

- Do NOT talk on your cell phone and turn off the ringer (texting is OK, you are not driving). If you have to use your cell phone – get up and quietly walk out of the hearing room into the lobby to use it.
- DO NOT eat or drink in the hearing room (water is OK if it is the original containers, but keep it discreet).
- DO NOT walk around the back to where the legislators are seated, you will be immediately arrested.

Talking To Your Legislator

Okay you got over the first step by making an appointment and going to see your legislators and now you want to know how to talk them.

So here are a couple of rules that you might find helpful:

Do not get into an argument with them, or give ultimatums such as “I won’t vote for you” and above all be respectful at all times
Be on time (mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa, I am known for being late, but I always make sure that I am there early. Like a half hour early and I wait around before I go to my legislator’s office)
Address them by their titles. (i.e. Governor, senator, etc.)
If you do not know an answer to a question say so, don’t lie, but tell them you will get back to them and make sure you do. You should have done your homework first and know all about the bill. You also should know what the opposition thinks of the legislation.
Have a sixty second “elevator speech” memorized; you should be able to state your case in one minute.
Do not confront your legislator in the elevator. “Elevator speech” is just a term you don’t do it in reality unless invited to do so.
Don’t use abbreviations, you know what they mean, but most people do not! (I was once using the term “LGBT” at a health conference in Hartford sponsored by a local TV station. As people walked by our table they asked me what does our organization do, and I told them we are a LGBT youth and family service agency. I was surprised that people kept on asking me what LGBT meant.)
You might be asked to talk to them in some pretty strange location, like walking down a hallway, over lunch (one of the best places to be asked to meet) or outside of the House or Senate chambers. One time I had a legislator meet me in the gallery overlooking the House floor but most of the time in is in their office.
Thank them for their time.
Write them a thank you letter

Tips For Being Interviewed By The Media

Don’t do it!
If you do, think of sound bites (7 or 8 seconds). Once when I was lobbying for ENDA down in Washington DC I gave a five minute interview and all they used was one sentence “I don’t think it will pass this year, I think we are in it for the long haul.” And they called me a “seasoned professional” which I got a chuckle out of since that was the first time I lobbied.
(Corollary to #2) Be prepared for them to use your statement out of context in the worst possible way.
Know what key words not to use and how to spin a negative question positively (Why do you think that the “bathroom bill” should pass?”*)
Remember most people probably do not know the issues you are being interviewed about, so keep the explanation basic… “Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and trans people face discrimination everyday which is why...”
Don’t use abbreviations (see above)
You might want to talk to the reporter beforehand an mention the “AP Style Sheet” or GLAAD Media Guide for the correct use of pronouns.
And above all, realize that you are going to be stopped on the street and told “I saw you on the news last night!” That happened to me after I gave an interview; the clerk at the deli said that to me.
Also be aware that they may use your photos or video for other stories. They may use a picture of you walking in the background as they are talking about a trans person who committed a crime.

*Don’t answer that question! A better answer to that question is... The anti-discrimination bill is important because it protect all transgender people from discrimination in employment, housing, credit and public accommodation.

You can not longer use the skywalk because of new security requirements, instead you must use the west entrance (the side facing Board St.) and go through the metal detector. So allow for the extra time to go through security because the lines can be long.

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