John,

Are you an up-and-coming LGBTQ college student looking to break into politics? Do you know of LGBTQ students looking to take the next steps in their career? Great news: we are still recruiting for our next class of Victory Congressional Interns (VCI)! Application closes March 9th, apply ASAP!

Each summer, the VCI program brings 12 outstanding LGBTQ undergraduate students to Washington, DC, for an intensive leadership program. Our VCIs spend the summer on Capitol Hill, interning with a member of the LGBT Equality Caucus or LGBTQ-friendly Member of Congress, learning how Washington operates and making essential career connections to assist with their next steps. We also organize an intensive educational and leadership development program with policy and political experts for a 360 degree view of DC's political landscape.

Here's what some of our past VCIs had to say about their internships:

After the VCI experience and graduating from college, I returned to Congress and spent four years working for Speaker Pelosi. I can honestly say this wouldn't have been possible without the Victory Congressional Internship. I am so thankful to Victory Institute for giving me the opportunity and support to intern in Congress. I knew immediately after the internship ended that I needed to come back and was lucky enough to land a job as a staff assistant in then-Leader Pelosi's office. I eventually worked my way up to become the youngest policy staffer on Speaker Pelosi's policy team. -- Sarah Jackson

As a queer and non-binary person, I challenged our office’s assumptions about gender and pushed for greater LGBTQ inclusivity. For example, Senator Feinstein’s office used to log constituent phone calls by gender, a practice that reinforced a gender binary and could potentially alienate transgender and non-binary constituents. I wrote a memo about why this practice was harmful, and the Chief of Staff approved the change for the entire office. My cisgender and heterosexual peers weren’t aware of these problems — privilege is invisible to those who have it — but once I brought it to their attention, they were eager to adopt more inclusive practices. Having more LGBTQ representation on Capitol Hill can bring about changes such as these. -- Leanne K. Ho

LGBTQ representation on Capitol Hill is important because the government should reflect the people, and right now it doesn't. Congress passes policies that affect LGBTQ people, so it's important that LGBTQ people are involved in the policy process. A lot of people see LGBTQ issues as just gay marriage, but we know there are so many more: the murder of black trans women, job discrimination, housing discrimination, etc. We need LGBTQ representation on Capitol Hill in order to craft more holistic and better informed policies that uplift the LGBTQ community. -- Kylie Murdock

Our VCIs have gone on to hold jobs across the political spectrum, providing invaluable perspectives to Congressional offices, nonprofits and more. They're changing Washington, D.C. in real time and creating a more inclusive Washington. While we cover most program costs, a donation of $10 or more will go a long way for our future LGBTQ leaders. Will you chip in today to support the VCI program?

Thanks for spreading the word!

Sarah Pope, Domestic Programs Manager