Some anti-trans Democrats don’t think our voices matter, and like Republicans, they will govern us accordingly. Our continued inclusion in the American political system hinges upon their defeat.

In 1968, Louisiana passed a law allowing trans people to update their birth certificates. According to historical records, the law—which made Louisiana the 4th state to allow such changes—was introduced and passed because a trans woman had asked them to. Indeed, that was all it took for the legislature to act. And the final vote tally? 87-8 in the state House and 38-0 in the state Senate.

It may be hard to imagine a conservative state willingly doing anything to help trans people now, let alone after we ask them to, but until relatively recently, that was pretty much the norm. In 2009, Nebraska dropped its surgery requirement for driver’s licenses after it was asked to. In 2013, Idaho did the same. And in 2015, the GOP-held West Virginia Senate successfully pushed the equally red state House into removing the surgery requirement for driver’s licenses as well.