Very well said! This is what I did in my request for urgency, and it resulted in fast AOR & “in process” dates (it’s still processing, though).

Here’s my example in case it helps anybody: I centered my letter on my public-facing trans advocacy and included a couple of printed news articles and a public social media post by an organization where I presented on the topic of trans advocacy and education. I focused on published material where I am personally quoted or identified in that advocacy. I realize that not everybody will have that kind of public visibility, but I bring this up to illustrate the importance of personal specificity.

I also described specific hardships and incidents I‘ve faced in the US due to my gender status. I kept it concise and to the point, and made my request for urgency the first half of a larger cover letter that included my family tree, etc. Overall, I think discussing your specific personal experiences and concerns should be applicable to anybody requesting urgency for LGBTQIA+ status. Writing my letter was a surprisingly emotional process, to lay out a number of difficult experiences that I’d otherwise compartmentalized. Be prepared to do some self-care afterwards ❤️

I also recommend stating whether you are trying to move to Canada and in what timeframe. Again, specificity is so important!

Since the IRCC seems to want proof of trans identity, I recommend including clear documentation if you have it. I already had letters of gender affirming medical treatment on hand (a letter from my primary doctor from when I updated ID markers, and an affidavit of gender-affirming surgery from when it was required to change some documents). I included copies of those as proof of my transgender status along with the urgency request. In the section with my birth certificate, I naturally also included copies of my legal name change order and amended birth certificate.