OUT ON THE HILL is the official blog of the Victory Congressional Interns. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of LGBTQ+ Victory Institute. Learn more about the internship at victoryinstitute.org/vci.
———————————–
I’m not going to sugarcoat it—my time on the Hill has been challenging. I enjoy the work day-to-day, and I am blessed to feel supported by my office, but working as a Congressional intern has been a battle. In the belly of the beast, as it were, I am surrounded by our nation’s history and present foundation of white supremacy, inextricably linked with imperialism, homophobia, transphobia, and many more systems of oppression. After all, the Capitol itself was built by enslaved Black Americans.
In the hallways lurk signs posted by Congresspeople—some promoting freedom and love, while others promote bigotry, hate, and yes, even genocide (the multitude of “I Stand With Israel” signs from all sides of the aisle attests to that). This duality is hard to reckon with. How could one place be filled with so many incredible, dedicated people working for positive change alongside people working to preserve the violent status quo, or worse, people actively combatting recent progress in American civil rights?
What’s more, being surrounded by a wide variety of passionate groups who come to the Hill every day is both exhilarating and heart-wrenching. These groups present exciting research and policy proposals to congressional staffers, advocating for a better nation. While it is exhilarating to hear from innovative, compassionate people from around the country, it is heart-wrenching that their commonsense, research-based policies will not be able to pass Congress due to polarization and structural limitations. To make matters worse, in the past weeks, the news has been a flurry of fear and tragedy: from troubling Supreme Court decisions to devastating violence around the world (many of which is supported by the very government I work for, whether implicitly or explicitly). It is hard to get out of bed given the state of things, much less to walk into work in Washington and act like everything is ok.
Despite these challenges—or more likely, because of them—I have grown: more convicted in my values, more independent, more sure of what I appreciate about spaces. Facing cognitive dissonance and struggling to look it in the eyes every day has made me stronger. I am more outspoken against injustice of all forms and I am continuing to educate myself—liberation requires us to be lifelong learners. I am proud to be able to navigate the city on my own, form new connections, and find healing and joy. A brief visit to a local bookstore provided me with not only resources to further my political education but also a deeper appreciation of my communities. I have learned what I need in a city and its climate (both literally—it’s too hot in this city for my Wisconsin sentiments—and metaphorically). I have gained a better understanding of what solidarity means to me.
Lastly, while this experience has been brutal at times, I am grateful for Victory and the opportunity to work on the Hill. It is important to know how decisions are made, how the system operates, and who gets a voice—things that are impossible to fully grasp without firsthand experience. I hope to take this knowledge with me going forward and use it to advocate fiercely for the changes our people need: both incremental and revolutionary. Learning from community organizers through Victory programming last week was inspiring, and hearing about the work of these organizers gives me hope in a time that can otherwise seem entirely hopeless. Finally, I am incredibly proud to be a VCI, surrounded by bright, motivated, and kind people who care for each other and our communities. The joy and solidarity of the Victory cohort has been crucial in navigating the challenges that come with working in the belly of the beast.
