Advocacy Made Easy: Giving Testimony at a Hearing
Imagine having the feeling that you said everything you could say at the optimal time to a critical group of decision-makers who needed to hear your opinion. In advocacy, all those factors rarely line up together. But that’s what happened for me last week, when I gave testimony on behalf of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America at the Missouri State Capitol.
I often say that when we know what to expect and have clear instructions on how to advocate, it lowers an anxiety barrier that can keep us from speaking out. I learned that lesson again for myself! Until recently, I’d only given testimony once on a small community issue. But it is such a powerful form of activism that I attended a PROMO training to prepare myself to do it more in the future. PROMO is Missouri’s LGBTQ+ policy and advocacy organization that confronts systemic inequities to liberate the full spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community from discrimination and oppression.
Soon after the testimony training, I saw an urgent morning Facebook post from Missouri leaders of Moms Demand Action, asking for a volunteer to testify that afternoon at a hearing against a bill that would prohibit state and local officials from enforcing certain federal laws. Feeling both apprehension and new confidence, I contacted the Moms Demand organizer for help with remarks and hopped in the car to drive three hours to the state capitol.
Late in the afternoon, I faced rows of Missouri legislators as the sole citizen speaking against a gun bill that would prohibit state and local officials from enforcing certain federal laws. As I adjusted the microphone, I regretted not choosing the other chair because my seat was still warm from the NRA lobbyist who spoke before me. The presence of Moms Demand leaders behind me helped me not to be intimidated by the tired, frustrated faces before me. I spoke with the sincerity and authority of the person I am: a mom who cares about kids. And…they listened. The members didn’t leave the room or check their phones as they sometimes do. It turned into one of the most exhilarating advocacy experiences I’ve had in years!
With gratitude to PROMO trainers, I present my summary of their advice on how to give testimony. I hope that after you read it, you’ll have the confidence to step up next time someone puts out a call to testify for one of your causes!
What is testimony?
Offering testimony is one of the most effective and timely ways to help lawmakers connect with the impact of proposed legislation. It’s an opportunity for you to speak directly to decision-makers, the public, and sometimes even the press at a public hearing. If legislators are holding a committee hearing about your issue, it means it’s a hot topic on which they need more information and opinions.
At a public hearing, each participant can speak in front of a group of lawmakers for about 3 minutes. You may share how changes in a law or policy will affect your life. In this form of advocacy storytelling, we leverage the power of our own experiences to persuade legislators.
Why give testimony?
Testifying at a public hearing is one of the few opportunities we have to address several legislators at once while looking them in the eyes. A memorable human connection can happen when you make eye contact with others and tell them how their actions will harm or benefit you.
A social work practicum student at PROMO named Hannah Jumper told me,
“Telling your story while representing yourself and your community makes testifying an act of visibility, but also a sacred experience for each person. You get to fight for our community’s liberation by speaking truth to power. Testifying is empowering, courageous, and also requires care and intention.”
Atem Richardson, PROMO St. Louis Equality Organizer, feels a connection to ancestors and activists that preceded them. Atem shared,
“Taking a day out of your week, traveling to the capital, and giving your testimony is one of the truest acts of patriotism to freedom one can give. It is just as much an ancestral duty as it is civic. It was my ancestors’ duty to when they fought for our rights initially; it is my duty to hold the line and maintain the victories.”
General structure
First, arrive early. There should be a sign-in sheet or a form to fill out and submit. If you arrive late, all the speaking slots may be taken!
There’s a general flow to testimony that I like to think of as “5 steps and a thank you.”
Introduce yourself with your name and where you live
State your position by saying the bill number and whether you support or oppose it
Tell your story to personalize the issue
Describe the impact of how the bill will harm or benefit your city/state/country
Make your request for the lawmakers to vote “yes” or “no” on the bill
Thank the committee for their time and consideration
Before taking public comments, the chair should inform speakers how much time they have. Stay within these limits, even if you have to leave out parts of your written testimony, or they will cut your comments short.
Have your comments printed out with your name, your title (like, “volunteer” with your organization name), and the date at the top. Some legislative bodies, like the Missouri State House, require you to leave a written copy.
It’s common to read testimony from a paper, but I recommend practicing reading the remarks out loud, so that you can look at the members and make a personal connection. It discourages legislators from tuning out and makes a bigger impression.
Crafting your personal story
Your personal story should be an interesting and influential part of the testimony. You want your story to be compelling and relevant in a short time. The goal is to put a human face on the issue. Talk about a specific person, either yourself or someone you care about (with their permission), and link your story to the issue at hand.
Name and emphasize your feelings to evoke similar feelings in your audience. If your memories lead you to tears or smiles, that’s a good sign it can touch others, too. Hannah acknowledged testifying can be difficult, saying, “While that experience can be painful at times, it give us an opportunity to come together and show up in all of our emotions from pain to joy.”
Name your values and describe them, especially if you’re talking about a matter of civil rights. Universal values like “dignity,” “respect,” and “fairness” help your audience relate to your viewpoint. Everyone wants to be respected and treated fairly with dignity.
There’s no one right way to tell your story, but here are some basic structures to help you get started.
A Journey Story is about a time when you moved to a place of greater understanding. It’s a way to connect with someone who doesn’t agree with your viewpoint. You’re essentially saying, “I’m just like you and I learned more.”
A Harm Story is about how an issue or policy has hurt you and how you’ve overcome it or are working on it. In the context of LGBTQ+ or disability issues, it could be a story about an experience of bullying or exclusion.
The “Story of Self” is a way to be vulnerable about how this topic relates to you. Developed by Marshall Ganz, you may have heard it called, “Challenge, Choice, Outcome.” Tell about a Challenge you faced, the Choice you made, and the Outcome of the situation.
Try to craft a few different versions of your story, so you can be flexible with a 4-minute version, a 2-minute version, and a simplified 1-minute version. You might have 5 minutes if few speakers are present. If there are many, it might get cut to 1 or 2 minutes.
The committee may ask questions
It doesn’t always happen, but committee members might ask followup questions after your testimony. This part makes me a little nervous, but think of it as more time to make your point.
If you keep these tips in mind, you should be fine:
Remember, this is mainly about your story. You are the top expert in your own experience and feelings, so you can’t get that part wrong!
If you represent an organization, bring a sheet of talking points with you. This is a good time to drop in points that are relevant to the question.
Answer only the questions you can address directly and honestly. It’s much better to say, “I don’t have that answer, but I can follow up later” than to give an uncertain answer. If a lawmaker wants to catch you in a “gotcha” type question, respectfully remind them you’re a volunteer and guide your response back to the way you feel.
General Do’s and Don’ts
DO be respectful, maintain a professional tone even when disagreeing, and address senators and representatives by their title. Say “thank you” when you finish.
DO NOT get caught up in unnecessary details in your personal story or describing a matter of science. Don’t clap, make comments, or make gestures when others are speaking. Don’t get into arguments during the question portion of your testimony. (You can correct mistaken information, but do it firmly and calmly.)
How does testifying feel?
Since part of Atem’s job is to support folks testifying for PROMO, I asked them how volunteers felt afterward. It’s not uncommon for volunteers to feel exhausted or fatigued afterwards, so PROMO tries to have lots of support on hand with water, snacks, and hugs available. Yet there’s a powerful upside. Atem said, “To do something so momentous at a time of authoritarianism makes people feel accomplished, like they were meant to do that.”
I agree with both observations. I was so relieved right after I finished. I felt like I wanted to physically shed the tension of the hearing like a dog shaking off water. But after that initial release, I experienced pride, peace, and the feeling that I was in the right place at the right time. Did I have the right voice saying the right things? Maybe or maybe not. But it was MY voice and I did the very best I could.
In this time when we often wonder if we can do more to resist, I was able lay my head on the pillow that night knowing I had done all that I could do that day. These days, that satisfaction means everything to me.
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