Challenges to Grassroot Organization Engagement with AI Policy

Policies are being developed around the world to address privacy, economic, intellectual property, energy, and other risks that AI technologies pose. Simultaneously, institutions are creating standards and best practices to further the use of AI. The development of standards and policies involves many well-resourced actors and opaque development processes, often sidelining the needs of marginalized populations, who often lack extensive networks, lobbying capabilities, and other forms of power. In this paper, we present the participatory development of AI policies that meet the needs of queer people through grassroots advocacy. We use collaborative autoethnography to surface granular challenges our organization has faced, along with factors that helped us. We conclude with actionable recommendations for empowering marginalized communities to participate in policy development, and advice for other marginalized communities working to use policy to mitigate harms.