The Victory Institute is proud to recognize the accomplishments of Ash Hall, an alum of our Congressional Internship program. Hall currently is a legislative fellow with Equality Texas where she’s responsible for handling LGBTQ related bills in the House State of Affairs Committee. She works alongside many advocates, including Victory-endorsed candidates Representative Celia Israel and Mary Gonzalez.
“Organizing witnesses for hearings is easily the most meaningful project I work on,” says Hall. “We had a great hearing on a bill that would get the parental names correct on birth certificates for adopted children of LGBTQ parents. Bearing witness to the stories that the parents and children told the committee was an incredible experience; every person in the room was moved, and the politics disappeared. There was a lot of hugging after that hearing.”
Hall also collected letters from the parents of transgender children in response to bills that penalize transgender individuals for using the restrooms that corresponds with their gender identities.
“I hear so many stories of transgender youth being abandoned or injured or leaving us in pain, so witnessing the fierce protectiveness of these parents meant the world to me,” said Hall. “I wish every transgender child had parents like that.”
As a Victory Congressional Intern, Hall worked as a legislative intern in the Office of Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California.
“Victory did an excellent job in helping me figure out how to network as someone on the shy side… and that’s hugely important to legislative advocacy,” said Hall. “My cohort is still family to me. Our mentor Jaan was and is still a fantastic source of knowledge and support. I also enjoyed getting to know my boss, Leader Pelosi, throughout the internship. She’s brilliant and has a great sense of humor.”
For more information about the Victory Congressional Internship, visit www.victoryinstitute.org/vci.
